Aftermath
by Ygraine vom See
Summary: This is the sequel to "Ann's Decision". A new beginning for our heroes. New adventures, new and old enemies and friends. AU and slightly OOC, but only slightly. English isn't my first language and all mistakes I make, are mine.
1. Chapter 1: Honeymoon

_**"The Aftermath" is the Sequel to "Ann's Decision". Our Heroes must face the many changes, that had happened in the last 30 years. They have to learn new ways of working together and living together. This story is AU but I will try to write Doug, Tony and Ann not too much OOC. As I don't know, where this story will lead me, I can't say how much chapters it will take to finish it. I will try to update as often as possible.**_

_**This first chapter is a short one and hopefully you will enjoy this (I promise to write more of Tony in the next chapter) and let me know, what you are thinking.**_

_The morning sun shone through the nearly transparent curtains and a light breeze came from the open window. Dr. Doug Phillips awoke with the feeling of something lying on his chest. He opened his eyes and smiled at the sight of of the wavy mass of hair, that was spread over him like a fan. He ran his hand over it and closed his eyes again. Ann and he had stayed for now eight days in this tropical paradise and only two days remained of their honeymoon. He never thought, that he could live without his work, relaxing in the sun, doing nothing, except swimming, daydreaming, strolling hand in hand with Ann at the beach or through the small town and making love with passion, tenderness and stamina. _

_He remembered their wedding night. He had carried her over the doorstep of her quarters. But they both were exhausted from the hectic of their homecoming and the events of the day, so that they had snuggled closely together and fallen asleep. He had made amends for it the other morning._

_The next days were full of debriefings, interviews and considerations, but the nights were theirs. They shared the overwhelming feelings of need, of desire and for the first time in his life, Doug felt that he belonged to someone. _

_After the decision to transfer Project Tic Toc to the Colorado Mountains, Senator Partridge and Dr. Marshall urged the Time Travelers to a most needed holiday. Tony, who had shared much time with Althea Waversham, told Doug, that he would stay in the house of the archeologist in New York._

_Partridge and Kirk had taken care of the financial situation in the behalf of the three in their absence. So this burden was taken from their shoulders._

_Ann and he thought they did not need a vacation, but Partridge ordered them to it._

_Ann wanted to fly to the Caribbean and so they went to Curacao and Doug was glad about it now. Sunshine, warmth, white sand and the bluest of seas, which looked like a picture on a postcard, lukewarm water, mild nights and only the two of them. Ten days, in which they talked about the past and the future, about their feelings and their wishes. Sometimes when Doug awoke with Ann in his arms, he believed to dream, and feared to be still in the time vortex. But when Ann kissed him, he knew, the adventure was over, they were back, safe and sound, and they would make a new beginning._

_Ann moved in his embrace and her hand slipped over his chest._

_Doug turned a little and kissed her._

_"Good morning, dearest!"_

_She smiled and answered with a sleepy voice:_

_"Mmh, good morning, sweetheart."_

_She let her lips wander over his collarbone, slipped a bit higher and captured his mouth with hers. After they had kissed for a while, Ann sat up and asked:_

_"Whats on our agenda today?"_

_Doug drew her closer._

_"Apart from the obvious?"_

_"Mmh!"_

_"What do you want to do?"_

_Mischievously grinning she caressed his shoulders._

_"Apart from the obvious?"_

_She freed herself from his embrace._

_"How about breakfast first? And then, if you are willing..."_

_"I'm always willing, as you should know," he interjected._

_Ann chuckled and threw a cushion at Doug's head._

_"As I was saying, if you are willing to go shopping with me, I need a new dress and I want to buy some souvenirs. Afterward we could make the boat trip, that you suggested yesterday."_

_"Sounds good."_

_"Okay, I only take a shower before breakfast."_

_Doug grabbed her hand._

_"Let's shower together to save time."_

_With a beaming smile, she threw her arms around Doug._

_"As if we would save time, when we shower together."_

_********************************TT**************** ******************_

_Angie Malcolm shook her auburn mane, as she entered the restaurant. With one look, she caught sight of Jerry Briggs and Nigel Partridge and went over to the men._

_"Hi, what a weather. When the snowing continues, we will have a problem to go to the mountains."_

_"Hi Angie, we will make it somehow. We have a lot of time. Greetings from Maggie. She said, you shall stop by, when you can spare the time."_

_"Thanks, Nigel, I will. How is my sister?"_

_Nigel smiled._

_"That she will tell you in person. So, go to her for a cup of coffee."_

_Jerry gave her the menu._

_"Kirk and Dr. Swain will be here shortly. Have you heard something from the honeymooners?"_

_Angie looked at Jerry with a little bit of pity. He took it hard, that Ann had married Doug._

_She gave the waiter her order and turned again to Jerry._

_"Ann had called me two days ago. She said, that she and Doug would stay for four days longer." _

_Kirk and Ray, who had arrived just now, had heard the last sentence._

_"Our turtle doves!" sighed Swain._

_Kirk took a seat and smiled._

_"They have earned this holiday."_

_Nigel nodded and said:_

_"What is it with Tony? Is he still in New York?"_

_Now it was Angie's turn to smile._

_"Yes, he is! Althea is very happy about it. Oh, I nearly forgot it. As you know, Ann's diary vanished, after the three were back. Althea and I have it scanned and saved on PC. And there it isn't vanished. Althea has taken a disc with the data to New York. She want it printed and we will give it to Ann and Doug on their first anniversary.. I had thought, we can give it to them when they are back, but Althea said, she need it for more information for her excavation expedition._

_Do you know, that her mentor's name is Geoffrey Ballard? And that was the name of the Duke in this diary."_

_Swain shook his head._

_"We should leave the past to the past. We have more important things to accomplish. _

_General, can you explain, why the whole Tic Toc construction shall move to the Colorado Mountains?"_

_"Since it isn't a secret anymore, is it superfluous to stay under the desert. The place in the Mountains was a former training area of the army. There is a place, where we could fit the whole tunnel construction into the rock mass."_

_Kirk himself wasn't convinced of this idea, but he had his orders._

_Nigel Partridge, gave Jerry some print outs with calculations._

_"I have to go, I have a meeting with the construction management. I will be very glad, when Dr. Phillips is back and he will take over. Jerry, we meet tomorrow morning, okay?"_

_Dr. Briggs agreed to it and turned to Angie._

_"Have you plans for tonight?"_

_Dr. Malcolm looked at him with surprise._

_"Not yet!"_

_Jerry hesitated for a second._

_"Would you like to watch a movie? We could go to the cinema."_

_Ray smirked at Kirk and the two took their leave._

_With a curious glance at Jerry, asked Angie:_

_"What kind of movie you have in mind?"_

_"They showing a western and an adventure film. But if you want to see a romantic movie, I'm sure, we will find one."_

_Dr.. Malcolm shook her head._

_"I like western movies. Can we meet at the cinema, Jerry? Then I have time for a visit with my older sister Maggie."_

_Jerry smiled._

_"Of course. I'm pleased, Angie."_

_"Me, too, Jerry, Until later!"_

_*******************************TT***************** ********************_

_On the last day of their honeymoon, they sat at the beach and watched the sunset._

_Ann leaned her head against Doug's shoulder._

_"I wish, we could stay here."_

_He put his arm around her waist and drew her closer._

_"Me too, Ann. I promise, we will come back to this place. And we are together. And we are not alone, old and new friends are with us. We don't need to live under the desert any more. We can buy a house, if you want. And I will never leave you again."_

_He kissed her tenderly._

_She snuggled in his embrace._

_"You have said this before. On the morning of the day, when you followed Tony. Don't get me wrong, I know you had to do it. But I don't know, if I could live through this experience again."_

_"I don't believe that Tony or me would go into the time vortex willingly without being sure, that we can come back, if we want it."_

_Ann stood up and drew Doug with her._

_"Can we take a walk along the beach?"_

_"Sure, if you want to."_

_Hand in hand they ambled through the sand._

_"What Tony has actually told you?" asked Ann after a while._

_Doug laughed lightly._

_"He is still in New York. It's the first time, he didn't speak about our project, and his ideas for it. He told me about the things he had experienced with Althea."_

_Ann grinned from ear to ear._

_"But surely not about all his experiences with Althea?"_

_"No," Doug kissed his wife, " of course not. But I had also a phone call from Ray. The preparations for moving the most important parts of the time tunnel are coming on nicely. All we have to do, when we come back, is to head to Colorado. I had thought, we take my car and driving to Colorado Springs. In this way, we have still a little time for us."_

_"Your car? You mean the Cadillac?"_

_"Yes, it has survived and Nigel had promised, he would bring it to a car mechanic, who he knows."_

_"Okay, Doug. And what will we do in Colorado Springs? I had thought, we would stay first in Arizona?"_

_Doug caressed her bare shoulders._

_"No, we go to Colorado and oversee the fitting of the tunnel. And we will set up the new control center. And because Tony told me, he will remain with Althea until January 31. we have much work to do."_

_"Do you think, that Tony and Althea will stay together?"_

_"I'm not really an expert for matters of the heart, Ann."_

_Ann nudged his side._

_"So you told me. But if you want to hear it, or not. For me you are the most romantic man in the world."_

_Doug stopped walking and took his wife in his arms._

_"For you I can be all, what you want me to be. Have I told you, how much I love you," he whispered in her ear._

_Ann kissed him fiercely._

_"No, but I know it nonetheless because you show it each day to me."_

_She kissed him again._

_"And Doug, I love you more than I can tell."_

_As they sat on the plane the next afternoon, both were tired but very happy and full of zest for action._

_TBC..._


	2. Chapter 2: Time to say good bye

_**AN: Here is the next Chapter. It has many "Good bye's" in it and a promise of new beginnings. I hope you like it. And please tell me, what you think about the story so far. I appreciate each and every review.**_

_Tony had packed his bags and Althea would take him to the airport. The last three days were passed by with mixed emotions. He had a wonderful time here in New York. It was the first time, as far he could remember, that he had lived without thinking about project Tic Toc, or any other scientific problem. He had simply lived. Althea, who was very spirited, had acquainted him to the New York lifestyle. She led him to a discotheque. He didn't like the loud and unknown music, but he liked the way how Althea danced with him, even if he felt quite awkward. They ate in fancy restaurants and went to the galleries, she persuaded him to go ice skating and she introduced some friends of her to him. When they were at her home, the house she had from her great-grandmother, she told him about her work, they watched TV and she taught him to use all the, for him new, technologies. He was a scientist and it don't took him long, to comprehend all this things. Since she was the spitting image of her great-grandmother, Tony was soon in love with her. Althea, who grew up with, from memory glorified, stories about the dark-haired mysterious hero, who saved the life of her great-grandmother, fell also in love with Tony._

_As she initiated the first Kiss between them at Doug's and Ann's wedding, she found his resistance charming. When he insisted that he would sleep in the guest-room of her house, she laughed about his shyness. But when Tony asked after two weeks of getting to know each other, if she would consider to marry him, Althea took it very serious. She didn't want to hurt him, but this was going to fast. She tried to explain, that nowadays a marriage wasn't the biggest thing and that they could live together, without being committed to each other._

_Whether Tony really did not understand, or just did not wanted to, remained open. Then Althea told him about her plans for the new year. She would go back to England in April and finish her work there. Her Mentor had called her and made it clear, that he would need her knowledge._

_"Look, Tony, I ...my feelings for you are so new. It's certainly more than only friendship, but time will tell, if we are meant to be together."_

_Short before his vacation came to an end, Tony asked her again, if she had thought about what he had said, but Althea, who sometimes felt as if Tony saw her great-grandmother in herself, begged him to be patient. They would meet until she had to return to England and what came after, would have to be seen._

_Now, sitting in Althea's car, Tony was torn between love and disappointment. Tony, who had moved out after a short time from the guest rooms, had kept Althea very close during the night and their last lovemaking in the morning had a touch of desperation. Holding hands they went to the departure lounge and Althea kissed Tony with passion and whispered in his ear, that she would come to Colorado as soon as possible. He kissed her back._

_"I will waiting for you, Althea. I will call you, if I have arrived."_

_"Good, give my best to Ann and Doug. And of course to Angie."_

_Tony smiled for the first time at this day._

_"I'll have to behave myself, Angie will have an eye on me."_

_"You can be sure of that!"_

_They shared a last kiss and Tony had to hurry because the last call for his flight came from the speakers._

_Tony had nearly forgotten, that he could be recognized as one of the first time travelers of mankind. Although he had a 1. class flight, and sat alone in the last row, he felt the glances from a middle aged man. Closing his eyes, he tried to think about Althea, but unbidden came the phone call from Doug to his mind. They had talked about the future for project Tic Toc. Doug and Ann were at this time in Arizona and supervised the dismantling of the tunnel and the control mechanism. After all data were extracted, the over aged processors would be shut down. Doug himself take all data to Colorado. Then Doug had asked him, if he wanted him and Ann to take care of his belongings, so that he had no need to come to Arizona. Tony laughed and told his friend, that he hasn't much, to take care of, but that he would appreciate it, when Doug brought his disk collection, his photo albums and a chest with all the things, he was attached to. His friend sounded relaxed and when Tony asked him, if he was happy, he only laughed and told him, that, although they had missed thirty years, he was sure, they belonged in this millennium._

_Doug and Anne would go by car to Colorado and Doug told him, that both were eager to see him. Tony had learned, that hardly anyone of his family were alive. A couple of cousins, that he did not even know by name. He smiled by himself. Ether Ann nor Doug had living relatives, they all were a bunch of lonely people. No, that wasn't true. Maybe they were alone, but not lonely. He remembered that Althea said, Family were not necessarily people from the same blood, but with the same mind. She was right. Ann was like a sister for him und Doug somehow between a big brother and a friend. _

_He must have dozed off. He awoke as the stewardess touched him on the shoulder._

_"Dr. Newman? We are almost in Dallas, you have a connection flight to Colorado Springs in two hours."_

_Tony nodded and fastened his seat belt._

_The Dallas Airport was big and crowded, Tony get his luggage and searched for the departure lounge for the flight to Colorado Springs. At the counter they told him, that the flight would have a delay from one hour. He found a little Chinese restaurant and ordered a light meal._

_"May I join you?"_

_Tony looked up from his newspaper, to see the man from his former flight._

_He looked around, but seemingly every seat was taken. So he nodded._

_"Of course."_

_The man was a friendly fellow and introduced himself as Henry Trenton. _

_They made inconsequential conversation until Trenton asked:_

_"Where do you go to?"_

_"Colorado Springs":_

_"Mmh, nice town, Dr. Newman."_

_Tony, who has not presented himself to Trenton, looked at the man with curiosity._

_"From where do you know my name?"_

_Trenton smiled._

_"But Dr. Newman, you are famous."_

_He pointed at the newspaper and when Tony looked, he saw a photo with him, Ann and Doug._

_"What do you want from me, Mr. Trenton? An autograph?"_

_"I only want to talk. To shorten the wait. I've read all about you and your friends. To think to travel into the past or the future, I find it fascinating."_

_Tony laughed._

_"Fascinating, indeed. But only, when you can be sure, that you can go back into your own time."_

_Trenton shook his head._

_"And when someone want to live in the past or the future?"_

_"Mr. Trenton, time travel isn't a game. We do know not nearly enough about the consequences. Hypothetically, we can send someone to a certain time and if he wants to stay there, you can arrange it. But only hypothetically."_

_"I'm a business man, Dr. Newman and always on the search for new capital expenditures. How far fetched is the idea, to make a fortune with time travels?"_

_Newman had to suppress a smile._

_"I would say, very far fetched. Look, Mr. Trenton, we, my friends and I will continue our research, but we are only at the beginning."_

_"But you traveled through time. I've read about your adventures."_

_"What do you have in mind? A travel agency for adventure trips? Or for time trips with no return? You have much phantasy, Mr. Trenton, but regular time travel is a utopia. The time travels, my friends and me had made, were an accident. We have learned a lot about time, but to make this safe, we must doing much more research, you know."_

_Trenton nodded._

_"What a pity. But, if I may ask, would you tell me about your adventures?"_

_Tony stood up._

_"My flight is called. Sorry!"_

_Trenton also rose._

_"I'm on the way to Colorado Springs, too."_

"_You have business there?"_

_"No, my wife and I live there. We have a little house and my wife is a gynecologist at the St. Francis medical center. When you are settled, we would be happy if you and, of course, your friends could visit us."_

_"Thank you, Mr. Trenton, we will see. But now, let us catch our flight."_

_********************************TT**************** **********************_

_Ann looked around the control center, it was a strange feeling to see the formerly so familiar surrounding in disarray. The tunnel was deinstalled and on the way to Colorado. Doug and she had saved all data. Ray would stay for two more days, to supervise the rest of the work. It was time to say good bye to an important part of her life. But she wasn't unhappy at all. She had proven herself to be strong when she was in the past searching for Doug and Tony. Now she had the feeling, she could conquer all what may come into her way. And she wasn't alone anymore. She smiled at Doug, who came from the elevator. Sometimes she could not believe that it was not just a dream, that she really was married to Doug._

_Phillips has spotted her and came over._

_"Hi, dearest. Are you ready?" _

_Dougs arm went around her waist and he kissed her on the cheek._

_"In a moment, I take only my leave from this place."_

_"Are you sad to leave this behind?"_

_Ann snuggled closer to him._

_"No, not really. It's mixed emotions, Doug. On one hand I have learned here a lot, we even got married here, but now I am looking forward to a new beginning."_

_They shared a stealthy kiss._

_Doug patted her hip._

_"We have to pack our belongings, I' want to be on the way in the early morning hours."_

_"Okay, what is with Tony's things?"_

_"Packed and in the air container! As will be the most of our possessions."_

_Ann took a look at her watch._

_"I haven't much more to pack. My back pack is untouched, the most of my clothes are outdated and can stay here. The other things are already in the air container. We have a lot of time._

_Doug smiled._

_"I'm ready, too. We need not much for our trip. If it is alright with you, we could use a little sleep, before we hit the road."_

_Ann gave her husband a mischievous grin._

_"So we are going to sleep in our old quarters? Like in former times?"_

_Doug frowned._

_"Yes."_

_Ann suppressed a smile._

_"Okay, darling, then sleep well. We see us in the morning."_

_Astonished he took hold of her arm, when she tried to get away._

_"What do you mean?"_

_She chuckled._

_"In former times we slept apart from each other."_

_Doug scooped her up and carried her to the elevator._

_"No way, my love. I never want to be separated from you, especially not in bed."_

_After a cup of coffee and a quick good bye to Ray, who would fly to Colorado, they were on the way, with Dougs old, but strikingly good looking Cadillac. His guitar on the back seat, besides her back pack they drove with the open cabriolet into the sunrise._

_Ann wore a shawl around her hair and grasped for her sunglasses, observed from Doug._

_"You look beautiful."_

_"Oh, thank you, Doug."_

_She smiled at him._

_"You don't look so bad yourself, sweetheart."_

_She caressed his right hand._

_"I can drive later, if you are tired. I mean, if you trust me with your car."_

_"I have trusted you with my life! Of course I will let you drive."_

_They were silent for a while, then Ann said:_

_"Have I told you, that something is vanished from my back pack?"_

_"No, what is vanished?"_

_Ann hesitated._

_"You know, I had begun to write a diary, I mean, in the past, when I was searching and waiting for you and Tony. I always had it in my pack pack. But it has vanished while we were transferred back."_

_"You are sure, it was in the back pack, when we came back?"_

_"Yes, I was coming from my special place by the waterfall and I had it with me. I had written something while I was there alone."_

_"So you had a special place there?"_

_"Yes, I have always wished to show it to you."_

_Doug was silent for a couple of minutes._

_"Do you think often about this time, about our adventures?"_

_"Yes, I do. It wasn't all bad. We were free, almost, in a way. Don't you think so?"_

_"You're right. Do you wish, that we had stayed?"_

_"No, Doug. And ...for me it was important to be with you and now I am."_

_"Do you still have that dress you wore?"_

_"Yes, I have it with me. And I knew, I had the diary in the back pack and it was vanished, when I took a first look to see, if Maireads books were therein."_

_"Was it important, what you have written?"_

_"Important? No, It were random thoughts I had at this afternoon. I only hope it is vanished, because I have written it in the very distant past and not that anyone had taken it away."_

_"So is it something embarrassing?" Doug grinned._

_When he saw Ann blushing, he lowered his voice._

_"Would you tell me about it?"_

_The blush in her cheeks deepened._

_"Maybe, but not now."_

_"Why ever not?"_

_"Doug! No I can't tell you now. Because you drive, and...maybe I will distract you, with these thoughts, that I had at this time."_

_Ann smirked and laid her head at his shoulder._

_He was serious again._

_"We have to analyze all data from our re-transfer, but I think, the diary is vanished, because it was an item from that time."_

_Ann nodded._

_"Yes, that sounds logical, but why the diary and not my dress?"_

_Doug wondered about the same thing._

_"We have much work before us. But, one step after the other. Have you thought about where you would like to live? Jerry has told me, that at the outskirts of Colorado Springs a rural settlement came into existence, with a good junction to the city. And we would be nearby the new Tic Toc Complex. On the other hand, we could live in the crew accommodations."_

_"What do you want? As long I can live with you, it isn't important, where I live."_

_With a brilliant smile he looked at her._

_"I love you, Ann. And I wish for us to have a house of our own. A place where we can draw back, if we are need rest from the work or privacy from the people, which are around us. A place, where we can be alone together."_

_"Then we will search for a house."_

_Doug took her left hand in his right one._

_"And that is also a kind of good bye."_

_"How so?"_

_"From our bachelor days in confined quarters!"_

_Ann laughed so hard, that she got a hiccup._

_*****************************TT******************* ***************_

_General Kirk walked through the snow to the new Control center. With a curious look to the gigantic cave, which soon would held the tunnel helices, he entered the building. Dr. Briggs and Dr. Malcolm, who had a fierce discussion with some of the technicians, saw him coming and Jerry excused himself from the group and went to Kirk._

_"General, we have problems. With all the snow, the trucks do not come up here. But we need the fiber optic cable and other accessories."_

_"I know Jerry, we will gave all necessary things an airlift by helicopter. Have Doug and Ann arrived?"_

_"No, Sir. Not yet."_

_Briggs saw that Angie waited for him. A sort of friendship was formed between them, after the cinema visit. He liked Angie, she was good company and he couldn't deny, that she was a beautiful woman. And it wasn't her fault, that she reminded him of Dr. Ann MacGregor, no, Dr. MacGregor-Phillips. As much as he wished to forget his infatuation with Ann, he held tight on the hope, that Ann regretted her marriage and came to Colorado disappointed and ready to fall in love again, preferably with him. If he was rational, he knew that this was a pipe dream, but he couldn't help himself._

_So he told himself, that he would wait for the arrival of Ann and Doug and then look for some sign, that Ann was unhappy._

_Now he went over to Angie, who had her cell phone in hand._

_"Hi Jerry, I have a text message from Ann. The two are in the hotel, where we had booked rooms. The Chevy can't make it up here. But they will be here soon. Until then we will take care of the preparations regarding the lighting of the tunnel cave."_

_When Jerry wasn't following her, she called him:_

_"Hey Jerry, are you coming or what?"_

_But then she saw, what halted him. _

_Dr. Phillips and his wife had entered the building and greeted General Kirk. _

_Jerry couldn't tear his eyes of them. _

_Ann, beaming with happiness at the arm of her equally happy looking husband, came over to Angie and Jerry. Ann embraced the female physicist and hugged Jerry as well, while Doug shook hands with Briggs and gave Angie a short hug. Nigel Partridge came from the cave and they soon sat all together in the small restaurant outside of the building. _

_Jerry continued with his observation of Ann MacGregor-Phillips, only to realize that Ann had eyes only for Doug and did not leave his side. _

_When the conversation turned to more private matters, Jerry excused himself and went back to the building. Angie found him staring into nothingness. _

_"Jerry?"_

_"Leave me be."_

_"I will, but first, I will tell you something."_

_"I not inclined to listen."_

_"I know. I would leave you, if I'm convinced that you come to your senses. Listen to me, Jerry. You have to say good bye to this unhealthy feeling for Ann. She doesn't love you, she loves Doug. Everybody can see it."_

_"You are so mean."_

_"Maybe I am mean, Jerry, but I am also your friend. And I think it better I tell you the truth, than that Ann has to do it or worse, Doug. They are happy and you have no right whatsoever, to interfere with this happiness. Think about it and if you need someone to talk to, I'm willing to listen."_

_With this she let him standing, where he was and walked back to the restaurant._

_Three days later the first pieces of the tunnel arrived and were placed into the cave. Doug, Nigel and Ray took a closer look at them. Doug let his hand wander over the surface of the cave. _

_"Ray, is this metal?"_

_"It's stone with iron ore. When we prepared this cave, we used a new tool, which polished the walls. This special shimmer hails from the polishing."_

_"Really iron ore? "_

_"Yes Doug, I have seen the expert report."_

_"Okay, we can do nothing more at the moment. If it is alright with you, Ray, Ann and I will call it a day. We want to tour some houses."_

_"Good luck!"_

_****************TT**********************_

_Doug embraced his wife._

_"Unbelievable, we own a house!"_

_"And what is much better, it is furnished. We can move in at once."_

_After they shared a prolonged kiss, Doug whispered in her ear:_

_"But I want to make some changes. And maybe you like to buy some personal things?"_

_"You are right. Fortunately we have time, the project develop only slowly."_

_Phillips fetched his cell phone._

_"I will make a call to Tony."_

_"Give him my best!"_

_The team sat together at their hotel in Colorado Springs, when Tony arrived. Doug had met him at the airport. At the hotel, Tony got an enthusiastic reception, that left him speechless for some minutes. When Angie Malcolm waved him over and gave him her cell phone, he said laughing._

_"Hi, Tony Newman here."_

_Angie, who knew, who was calling, looked at Tony with worry._

_She saw him nodding and saying, yes, yes, for a couple of times, and then he said:_

_"It's okay, Althea, I understand, nothing to worry about. We will see us later, Good luck in Europe. Yes, me too. Good bye, darling."_

_He gave the cell phone back to Angie._

_"Greetings from Althea, she has to travel to England immediately. Her mentor has urgently requested her."_

_Doug passed his friend a drink and made a toast._

_"Here's to our project, to all the goodbyes in our life's and to a successful new beginning!"_

_TBC..._


	3. Chapter 3: New Beginnings

**AN: Gloria made me aware of a mistake, thank you for that. I corrected this part in this chapter.**

**Next chapter is on and I hope you like it. **

"Ray, Anne, are you ready?"

After Dr. Swain raised his thumb, Tony Newman moved to the first loop of the newly installed time tunnel, with some tools in hand, while Doug Phillips was further in the helices, trying to activate the emitters, which should bring the tunnel to life.

At first it looked promising, but then the blue light flickered and faded.

Doug grabbed the headset.

"What's going on, Ann?"

"We have the interfering impulse again, Doug."

"Impossible, we shielded them."

"If you don't believe me, take the readings by yourself, Doug."

Dr. Phillips went over to the control center and looked at the instruments on Ann's panel.

"You're right. But what is it?"

Ann shrugged her shoulders and Doug gave her a short kiss on her forehead.

"Sorry, for yelling at you."

She looked up at him, amused.

"Don't apologize for that, I know you will yell every time something isn't going according to plan. I love you nonetheless."

Ray had a printout in hand and gave it to Doug.

"See the energy peaks here? We have them every time, when we activate the last emitter."

Nine months were passed by and the work at the re-installation of the project Tic Toc had made good progress. This time, they had limited the buildings to the essentials. The personnel lived in Colorado Springs or nearby. Only a few had their quarters on the Complex. Nigel Partridge moved from Washington to Colorado Springs with his wife, much to the enjoyment of Dr. Angie Malcolm, who was now one of the leading physicists. The settlement, where Doug and Ann had their house, became more and more the center of all involved in project Tic Toc. Tony bought himself a small house, not far away from Doug and Ann.

Jerry had contemplated getting out of the project, but Ray persuaded him to stay. Given his experience all were happy about it. Jerry had rented an apartment in Colorado Springs, just as Angie Malcolm has done. The friendship between them had gotten a distinct crack and they saw each other rarely outside their work. Jerry was torn between rational thinking and his feelings for Ann MacGregor-Phillips. Ann was kind to him, as she had always been. Since they knew each other for such a long time and their lives were in some way linked together, now they all called themselves by their first names.

But Jerry had hoped for more. On one hand, he knew how immature he acted, but on the other hand he told himself that Ann eventually would realize how much he adored her.

In contrast Angie was concerned about her friend Althea. Even if she was in foreign countries, she always stayed in touch with her. Since the call at the end of January she had not heard anything from her and she doubted that Tony had news from her. Especially since Tony buried himself more and more into his work. Angie had talked to Ann and she had told her, that Doug and she were also worried, but for Tony.

The day had been a long one and it was already dark outside, when they left the Complex. The temporary restaurant, which had stood here in the beginning, had become a popular place. Henry Trenton, the man Tony had met on the plane, owned, among other things, a restaurant chain. When Trenton learned that the scientists often sat in the uncomfortable cafe, he spoke to the two young men who led it, made a contract with them and made sure that it was a well-attended Establishment. Nigel declined the invitation to have dinner with the others, but Ray, Jerry, Angie, Tony, Doug and Ann agreed to it. Kirk was in Washington for a visit with Senator Partridge and his old friend Leroy Clark.

Like always they talked endlessly about calculations, potential differences, temporary imponderables und unstable readings.

Ann who was sitting next to Doug, took a sip of her wine and leaned her head against her husband's shoulder. For all of them it was now a familiar sight.

Tony showed Doug the printouts from the afternoon experiment. Ann had also a look at them.

"Tony, look at this. I don't know what this energy reading means."

She pointed at one power curve.

Doug shook his head.

"I have no idea. Tony?"

"Tells me also nothing. I will take it with me and have a look on it later in the evening."

"Okay, Tony, we can talk about it tomorrow," said Doug.

Angie had an idea.

"How about a trip into town. We can play a round of bowling or we could go dancing. It's nearly an eternity since we did something other than working."

Doug looked at Ann.

"What do you say?"

"I am ready when you are!"

Raymond Swain was tired, but Doug and Ann persuaded him, to come with them.

So they went to the bowling alley and played for more than two hours. Angie played with Ray and Jerry in a team against Ann, Doug and Tony. Doug suddenly realized that Jerry was always on the track, when Ann played. Phillips found himself silly, but he made it clear that Ann belongs to him.

After Ann has thrown a strike, he gathered her in his arms and kissed her for everyone visible. A little bit breathless she whispered to him:

"What was that for?"

"I have no special reason, except that you are my beloved wife."

Doug looked around with innocent eyes.

But Ann had seen the look at Jerry's face.

"You know, that you have no reason to be jealous."

"I'm not jealous, okay, maybe a little. But Jerry should better stay away from you."

Ann shrugged her shoulders,

"Men!"

They had much fun and team "Time Travelers" won.

When they left, Angie asked Tony to take her home. He was a little surprised, but agreed to it.

"Sorry Tony, that I used this false pretenses, but I have a question."

"Then you should ask!"

"But please, don't be angry at me, okay?"

"Oh, sounds interesting!"

Angie linked arms with him.

"Have you heard anything from Althea?"

Tony breathed hard.

"No, and I don't want to talk about her."

"Tony! I didn't ask, to hurt you. I'm concerned for her. It happened never before, that she don't stayed in touch with me. Never! I thought, that maybe she was so occupied with you, that she forgot about me."

Tony patted her hand.

"I'm sorry, Angie. But she never called back, I got no answer to my mails and I couldn't reach her in any other way. So I thought, that she don't want me any more. I have made a mess of a wonderful beginning, Angie."

"Would you talk about it?"

"If you are willing to listen. I can't talk to Ann or to Doug, even if they are my closest friends, something like family."

"But, Tony, they would be there for you, always."

"I know, but sometimes it is easier to talk to someone else."

Angie hesitated not long.

"Okay, come with me, and I will listen to you, as long as you want to talk."

Some days later Angie approached the control desk, where Ann was sitting. Dr. MacGregor-Phillips, who was immersed in her work, flinched as Angie spoke to her.

"Sorry, Ann, I did not mean to scare you. But can I have a minute of your time?"

Ann smiled.

"You really scared me!. I deserve a break, let us go for a coffee."

She waved to Doug.

"I'm gone for half an hour, okay?"

Phillips looked up from the chart he studied.

"All right, you can bring me a coffee afterward?"

"Of course, darling."

Angie and Ann went outside to the restaurant. It was October, the sun was shining and below the Tic Toc complex in a valley shone the red and gold leaves of the trees.

They decided to drink their coffee outdoors.

Both women enjoyed the sun and the pleasant mountain air.

Angie told Ann, that her friend Althea apparently was disappeared without a trace.

"I had hoped, that the university in Washington is aware of her whereabouts, but they didn't know where she is and worse, they didn't know where her Mentor, Professor Ballard, is. They told me that Ballard is no longer working at the University since last year. I'm sick with worry, Ann. She is my best friend, more like a little sister, you know!"

Ann laid her arm around the other woman.

"I understand that well. But Althea told, that she makes excavations near Galashiels. Somebody has to know anything of it."

The physicist shook her head.

"I have already asked, but apparently there is no excavation there."

"Have you spoken with Tony?"

"Yes, that night, as we went to the bowling alley. He believed that Althea will have nothing more to do with him. But I think that's nonsense."

Ann looked at her watch.

"We have to go, but we will talk about this later. What do you think, if all of you come to our home. Ray, Jerry, Tony and you. Oh, Nigel and your sister should be there too. I will immediately talk with Doug."

They bought coffee for their colleagues and went back to work.

With two coffee cups in hand Ann went to her husband, who had a heated discussion with Tony. Both men took the coffee gratefully, Phillips hugged his wife and kissed her on the temple.

"What's going on?" Ann asked curious.

"Tony once again had one of his crazy ideas. He believes that the interference resulting from the iron ore. However, the tunnel is shielded against external influences. "

"I find the idea not even so crazy. We should examine the seals again."

Tony grinned and gave Ann a short peck on the lips, which earned him a glare from Doug and a smile from Ann.

"At least one who still believes in me. Thank you, Ann. I owe you one."

Ann caressed Doug's back and smiled at Tony.

"Well, then you come with us tonight. We have something important to discuss. And no, it's not about Tic Toc."

She kissed Doug on the cheek.

"Have you one moment for me."

"Anytime!"

****************************TT******************** *****************

"Ann, you look beautiful"

Doug laid his arms from behind around Ann and breathed feathery kisses on her throat.

"Mmh, Doug, if you continue, our guests will surprise us in a compromising situation."

"Maybe Jerry will then finally remember that you're mine. "

"Oh, you are possessive today."

"Not only today. I think, I should get the wine from the kitchen. And Ann?"

He released her and had gone a few steps.

She turned to him.

"Yes?"

"I love you!"

She gave him a beaming smile.

"And I you!"

Still smiling, she placed the wine glasses on the beautifully decorated table, when a sudden gust of wind tore at the patio door. Ann was terribly frightened and wanted to close the door, when she saw the shadow of a figure in the garden. With two quick steps, she was on the terrace, but there was no one to see. Dough came to her and touched her shoulder and he held her, as she turned around in panic.

"Ann, what's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"Laugh at me, Doug, if you want. But...there was someone in the garden. It looked like a black shadow."

"Go back into the house, Ann. I'll check."

Phillips took the revolver he had taken from one of the drawers and went out into the darkness.

"Take care," whispered Ann.

Before Doug was back, the doorbell chimed.

Ann opened hesitantly and sighed with relief, when she saw her colleagues and friends.

Suddenly Doug was at her side and greeted the others.

He took Ann aside.

"I found no one in the garden. Maybe you had an optical illusion?"

"Maybe. But Doug, I have closed the door to the terrace myself."

"I'm sure, it was nothing, Ann. Calm down."

Later Angie told them all about Althea's disappearance and what she had done herself, to get knowledge of her friend.

Tony was very pensive and when Ann said, that maybe Althea didn't want to be found, he agreed with her. But Angie answered back, that Althea at least would have told her, what was going on.

It was Nigel, who came with a suggestion.

"My father could try to find something about her. He has access to information's, we can only dream of. And I'm sure, he will help us. If it is right with you, Angie, I will contact him tomorrow."

Ann, who was very quiet, looked at Tony and Doug.

"If Althea isn't now in Galashiels? Her mentor's name is Geoffrey Ballard. Doug, Tony? Do it ring a bell?"

"Yeah sure, Ballard was the name of the Duke. But this is certainly a coincidence. "

Angie shook her head so that her hair flew.

"Althea said that she worked at two archaeological sites."

"But she could be in Carlisle or in the vicinity of Carlisle," Ann mused.

"Carlisle?" asked Angie.

"Yes, Geoffrey Ballard was the Duke of Carlisle. I mean, in the time we were stranded." explained Doug.

"Do you know, that Althea's great-grandmother originated from Carlisle?"

Maggie, the older sister of Angie nodded.

"Yes, I know. Althea had once talked about it."

"And told she something about herself being related to Ballard?"

Tony was curious.

"No, she just said that her mentor is on the trail in Europe. He wants to learn more about his ancestors."

"But that's not important right now."

Angie jumped up impatiently.

"Professor Ballard is a man of integrity, he has surely nothing to do with her disappearance."

Ann looked to the physicist.

"You said that he no longer works at the university and no one knows where he is currently."

Nigel dropped in.

"Perhaps my father can find him."

Tony rubbed his chin.

"Maybe I should go to Carlisle to search for Althea."

"No Tony, We do not even know, if Althea is really in Carlisle. Who knows what she has in mind. "

Doug was upset.

"We are currently at a critical stage of our project. You can not just go."

Doug was inwardly glad that Tony did not say, what would happen if it were Ann. Phillips knew only too well that he would not wait in this case.

"Tony, I knew how you feel, but we are scientists not detectives. We will do, whatever we can. It brings nothing to search blindly without knowing what we are looking for."

Doug laid his hand on Tony's shoulder.

"Try to be patient, Tony!"

"You are right. Nigel, please talk to your father."

Angie got up.

"It is late. Oh, I think I have a picture of Professor Ballard. Althea sent it to me when she had her final degree. Tomorrow I will bring it with me."

Doug asked Tony if he would stay a little bit longer and he nodded. Angie hugged Ann to say goodbye and suddenly pointed to the large windows.

"Doug, there's someone in the garden."

But when the men went out, there was nothing to see.

Angie shook her head, as Jerry said, it was probably just an illusion on her part.

"No, I'm not crazy. There was a figure in a dark cloak."

Ann felt for Doug's hand.

"I've already seen someone earlier, but when Doug walked out, he was gone."

"Maybe you should call the police," said Nigel.

Doug was not convinced.

"We will close all doors and windows. And we have an alarm system. We'll see you all tomorrow morning!"

****************************TT******************** **********

Doug, Ann and Tony were sitting together on the couch and Tony told his friends eventually about his time with Althea.

"I didn't want to burden you with my love life, or better the lack of it."

Ann took hold of Tony's right hand.

"Were we so occupied with us, that you thought, we had no time for you?"

"No, or yes, you were, but I'm happy for you, really. You deserve to be happy, after all we went through. And I have to acknowledge, I am not ready for a relationship like yours. I was never in love, not like you both. When I met Althea's great-grandmother on board of the Titanic, I liked her. And when Doug and me were in the time vortex, I remembered her from time to time and was asking me, if we maybe have a chance if we were in our own time. But that was useless. And then I met Sarit and that was love, I'm sure. I was serious, when I told Doug in Acre, that I want to go to China. And then, suddenly we are back, but in the future and so much has changed."

Tony took a sip of his wine.

"All happened so fast. I was envious, that Doug and you, Ann, were so sure of each other, to get married on the same day you came back. And I met a woman, who looked like her great-grandmother, had the same first name and kissed me after only some hours. I thought, I had fallen in love. And maybe I did. Althea is a wonderful woman, don't get me wrong, we had a very good time together. When she told me, she wouldn't marry me at once, because her work was important to her, I was hurt. I always saw you and Ann and I wanted the same. And I only became slowly aware, that there is more than one possibility to be in love and happy. I regret, that it took so long. I believed that Althea did not answer my calls and emails, because I always insisted that she should abandon her work, and apply for a job on project Tic Toc."

Tony laughed humorless.

"Why it is so complicated? I don't know if it was love or only infatuation."

Ann hugged the friend.

"She will be back. They will locate her."

Doug nodded.

"I apologize that I was so upset earlier this evening."

Tony smiled at his long time friend.

"It's okay. You were right, what could I do? Nothing, I presume."

He got up.

"Late enough, thank you both, for listening. Ah, I nearly forgot to give you this. It's an invitation from Harry Trenton. He gives a party on Friday evening."

Tony said goodbye to Ann and Doug escorted his friend to the door.

"Trenton has bought the factory for computer hardware and wants to expand it. Therefore the party."

Doug shrugged his shoulders.

"Seemingly Trenton is a man of considerably means. Do you go to the party?"

"Maybe. What's with Ann and you?"

"We will see." Doug looked around.

"Tony, I do not want to scare Ann, but I've found footprints in the garden. It was someone here."

Tony was shocked.

"You must go to the police, Doug."

"I will, but first I have to collect some evidence. Could you take Ann tomorrow morning to work?"

"What will you tell her?"

"That I have an appointment at the car service."

"Okay, maybe you should buy a dog to watch over the house."

"A dog? Not now. Maybe if we have children."

"Doug? Do you want to tell me something?"

Doug laughed.

"No. It only was an idea."

Tony clapped his friend on the shoulder.

"Good Night, Doug, and...maybe you should talk to Ann. I mean, about your idea!"

Doug watched Tony until he vanished around the corner. Then he turned on the alarm and went upstairs to the bedroom.

TBC...


	4. Chapter 4: Mysterious Events

_**AN: **_

_**At first, thanks to all, who have read and reviewed my story so far.**_

_**Thanks to Gloria, who made me aware of a logical error in chapter 3, I changed this part a little and thanks to Cinnamon for the review and the suggestion. There will be a baby, but not for Tony and Althea in the foreseeable future. And my son told me, that Dougs rag top car isn't a Chevrolet but a Cadillac. I have changed this as well. Now on with the story. There is some scientific babble, I'm not very proficient at this, but I tried. Let's call it Writer's prerogative ;-).**_

_**Please enjoy and leave the only payment for a fan fiction writer: a little review ;-). **_

_Ann woke up because she was cold. She groped for the other side of the bed, but it was empty. For the first time in what felt like an eternity Doug was not beside her, unfurling a feeling of disappointment in her. So she got up and went to the window. The sunrise over the mountains was breathtaking as always. Suddenly she found herself in the embrace of her husband, who kissed her neck and whispered:_

_"Sorry, I had something to do this morning."_

_Ann turned around in his arms._

_"Kiss me and all is forgiven."_

_That he did thoroughly until they were both out of breath._

_Later, when they were ready for the day, Doug said that Tony would take her in his car, because something wasn't right with the Cadillac and he had an appointment at the car service._

_"Why do you try to fool me, Doug? I have eyes and I saw the footprints in the garden when I looked from the window earlier. They don't look like yours or mine. What will you do?" _

_"I did not want to frighten you. Apparently, somebody was in the garden, and I'll go later to the police office. I have one of the footprints filled with plaster, as evidence."_

_Ann kissed Doug._

_"It would be better if I go with you to the police station. It was I who saw the shadow."_

_"Agreed, I'm just calling Tony."_

_******************************TT****************** **********************_

_Tony looked up when Doug and Ann came over to him._

_"Hello you two! Have you achieved something with the police?"_

_"They had a look at the footprint, and we were told that they cannot do anything unless more happened."_

_Doug answered._

_"The treated us as if we were a bit crazy." added Ann._

_"Have we missed something?"_

_Tony shook his head._

_"Nigel told me, that his father will take care of the business with Althea Waversham. Ray has taken preparations for the examination of the outer shields. We can begin as soon you're ready."_

_The review of the shields lasted until the afternoon. _

_Doug had the print outs in hand._

_"According to these results, the shielding is impenetrable. Tomorrow we will try again to bring the tunnel online."_

_Nigel Partridge beckoned them to him._

_"My father called me back a few minutes ago. He said, that Professor Ballard is at the moment in New York, but will fly back to England on Monday. Asked about Althea, he explained, that she had closed the excavation in Galashiels, und now wait for him in Carlisle. According to Ballard is Althea safe and sound, but pretty busy with her work. He will tell her, that we are worried and ask her to call Angie or Tony. Dad said, that he can't do more presently."_

_Angie smiled broadly._

_"I'm relieved, really. It's still unusual for Althea, but if she is so immersed in her work, then maybe it's understandable. She will tell us, I'm sure."_

_Newman had a bad feeling about this, but he kept it to himself. _

_***************************TT********************* *********_

_Tony sat in his living room, trying to sort out his notes. With little success, because he was restless and his mind was not in it. He wondered if Professor Ballard told the truth. The uneasy feeling that Tony had since the afternoon, just did not go away. He wondered if he should call Angie or simply go to Doug and Ann. But maybe he should stay at home and take care of his calculations. Only still an hour later he had not come onward. He picked up the phone and called Dr. Malcolm. She was not at home and her cell phone was switched off. From an instinct he dialed Althea's number, but he only got to hear: This phone number is not assigned. After several attempts that ended just in the same manner, he gave it up. A look at his watch told him, that it wasn't too late for a visit. So he got his coat and his keys and went over to Doug's and Ann's house._

_************************TT************************ **********_

_Ann looked up, when Doug put a cup of coffee on her desk. _

"_Oh, thanks, Doug."_

"_What is it, that you are working on? Since more than an hour you haven't moved."_

_Ann took a sip from the coffee._

_"I try to bring the readings from today into line with the readings we had, as we came back. And I thought about my theories, again."_

_"Will you tell me about your musings?"_

_"Not yet. I'll tell you, if I can explain it more logically."_

_Doug stroked her hair._

_"Maybe I could help you?"_

_"Oh Doug, don't get me wrong. Of course I want to talk with you about my theories, but for now, I can't even put it in words. But you know, what I'm talking about? Parallel universes, parallel time lines? Ibsen was the living evidence of that, or my future self."_

_The dark haired man nodded._

_"I never contradicted you in this."_

_Ann got up and hugged her husband._

_"I know. But for today it is enough. Shall we order something to eat from the Chinese restaurant or do you want a pizza?"_

_Doug drew her into his arms._

_"Am I allowed to take my beloved wife to the very exclusive steak-house?"_

_"Mmh, sounds good."_

_As Ann got ready to leave the house, she heard the bell ring. She joined Doug at the door and saw that Tony was there as well._

_"Oh, I'm disturbing you?"_

_"No, we are on our way to the Steak-House a few blocks away. Maybe you would like to join us?" asked Doug, and Ann smiled._

_"No, don't argue, Tony. You're coming with us." she said and together they went down the street. Doug had activated the alarm system and looked around._

_Tony saw it._

_"Was there somebody in the garden again?"_

_"No, but when we came home a little while ago, Ann believed that someone was following us."_

_Ann had linked arms with both men._

_"Do you know the feeling, Tony? If you think that someone is behind you and grab you right away? I had it all the time, even when we went shopping after work. But no one was there. I'm beginning to think I'll be paranoid."_

_When they sat together in the restaurant after dinner, Tony told his friends of the doubts, he had about Althea's whereabouts._

_And also that she obviously had a new cell phone number. _

_"It makes no sense. We had different opinions in terms of our relationship, but we have not even quarreled."_

_Ann was deep in thought before she spoke._

_"If it's not about your relationship, Tony, when it comes to her work? Or her mentor? What if Ballard is put in some kind of trouble and Althea wants to help him? If she received therefore no contact with you and Angie? "_

_"Maybe you're right, Ann," answered Tony, "but what if she is in danger, due to Ballard or her work?"_

_Doug nodded thoughtful._

_"I think, that Ann is right, Tony. But if she is in danger, we can't do much. The only thing, I can think of would be to check with the police in Galashiels and Carlisle. Maybe Angie still knows where Althea was, before she came back to the U.S."_

_So the subject was done for the evening and the three were talking about the calculations that they had made today._

_When they left, Tony asked:_

_"Are you going to Trenton's party tomorrow?"_

_Ann grinned as Doug rolled his eyes._

_"I've already bought a new outfit. Trenton has called once again, to invite us personally."_

_And Doug added:_

_"He is a nice guy, but sometimes I find him unnerving."_

_************************TT************************ *********_

_After saying goodbye to Tony, Doug and Ann walked hand in hand through the cool autumn night. Ann snuggled up to Doug's arm until he let go of her hand and laid his arm around her shoulders. They talked and laughed, when Doug suddenly stopped._

_Ann looked up at him._

_"What's going on?"_

_Doug gave an embarrassed laugh and moved on._

_"Now I think already that someone is following us."_

_Ann shivered and looked around cautiously. _

_"Let us quickly go home. Although no one is behind us, I have a strange feeling."_

_Later, Doug was lying in bed, Ann looked out the bedroom window._

_"Ann?"_

_Ann turned around and smiled._

_"No one to see. Maybe we are already paranoid."_

_Doug shook his head. _

_"No, I don't think so. It could be Jerry, who stalked us."_

_"Jerry? No, he wouldn't go that far. Besides, he was standing together with the others at our door, yesterday."_

_Doug caught his lip between his teeth._

_" He could have been in the garden before and then went over the fence to the street and to the front door."_

_"No, he arrived together with Angie."_

_Still thoughtful, Doug dropped back._

_"Maybe it's the shadow of the past, of our adventures. Do you still remember sometimes?"_

_Ann sat on the edge of the bed._

_"Yes, I dream often lately of our time at the cottage and the road to Galashiels. And then I'm afraid Doug. Afraid that I might lose you. Afraid that everything is just a dream here, and in fact I am in 1275. "._

_"Come here, dearest. Why don't you tell me about it?"_

_"Because it is so irrational. I am seen as a logically minded scientist. And it's been almost a year that the whole thing ended well. You know, I'm as happy as I've never imagined. I'm just afraid that I wake up one day and none of it is true. "_

_Doug swallowed and Ann moved toward him._

_"Do not worry, sweetheart, no matter what, this is our reality. If you have a bad dream again, then wake me up and we'll talk all you want."_

_He hesitated a moment._

_"And I have also dreamed of our adventures. But I've dreamed from things, we never experienced. Tony and I at building a cottage in the woods, for example. I see a waterfall and I see people, we never met, when we were there."_

_Ann came closer and laid her head on his chest._

_"I have the same dreams, Doug. The cottage, the waterfall, children, Angharad giving birth to her child. Things we never have really seen."_

_Stroking her back absentmindedly, Doug asked:_

_"I thought you've seen the waterfall?"_

_Ann smiled._

_"Yes, that I have. I always wanted to show you this place. It held a certain kind of magic for me. I was there often, to think and to dream."_

_"Have you dreamed of me?"_

_"Mmh, and it were very vivid dreams."_

_Phillips looked in her eyes and kissed her then._

_"Do you remember your future self, the future Ann?"_

_And as she nodded, he continued:_

_"She said something like, we would be a couple in every time line. I think she is right. Whether in the year 1275 or in the year 2000, we belong together."_

_"Maybe we should talk about our experiences. We never have, you know, Doug."_

_"I know. Maybe we have overlooked something important. Or maybe we are all crazy and need a psychologist."_

_Ann laughed._

_"I'm not sure about this. All I need is you, Douglas Phillips!"_

_Enfolding her in his embrace, Doug kissed her soundly and whispered:_

_"Then I will make sure, that you have only pleasant dreams this night."_

_********************TT***********************_

_When they went to the Tic Toc Complex the other morning, it still was nearly dark outside. Doug fetched the car from the garage, while Ann locked the door. From the corner of her eye she saw someone crossing the street behind her. When she turned around, no one was there. But this time she wasn't the only one, also Doug had seen a person in a long black cloak. When they reached their destination, the first thing, Angie told them, was that she and Jerry, who had given her a ride, have seen a black-clad figure on the street directly in front of them and it was just as suddenly disappeared._

_The whole morning Ann was deep in thoughts. Doug and Tony, who were in the helices and tested the glass fiber bus bars, had talked about the occurrence and Tony admitted, that last evening, when he was coming home from the restaurant, he had seen a shadow disappearing behind a corner._

_They met for lunch at the Tunnel-Restaurant and talked about the mysterious happenings until Angie remembered something._

_"I brought the photo from Professor Ballard with me." _

_She showed it around. Tony didn't looked at the man at all, because Althea was seen in this photograph too, but when Doug and Ann simultaneously drew a sharp breath, he glanced at them._

_"Tony? He looks like the Duke, don't you think?"_

_"Yes, of course. But if he is a descendant of Ballard, it isn't a surprise."_

_Ann shook her head._

_"But Tony, have a closer look at him. He not only looks similar, he looks just like the Duke."_

_"What do you mean, Ann?"_

_Her gaze went to Doug and as he smiled at her, she looked back to Tony._

_"If I tell you, what I mean, you all will think I'm completely nuts."_

"_Try us!" said Nigel._

_Ann hesitated until Doug took her hand in his and gave her an encouraging nod._

_"You all know how the tunnel works, to bring us to another time-line. My theory is, that parallel time-lines exists, adjoining rooms so to speak. What happened in one of the rooms, not necessarily happened in another. And I also believe, that parallel Universes exist, parallel realities. One little miscalculation can bring us in another time-line, but how can we go in another reality?"_

_"Isn't it the same, Ann? Another Time, another reality?"_

_Tony frowned._

_"If this is so, how could we say, that we are in the real time."_

_"Very easy, Tony. As Ann said, what happened here, maybe not happened in another time." answered Doug._

_"Okay, but what are the differences between another time and another universe?"_

_"It's just a theory of mine, and I'm not sure that it is correct. To put it rather bluntly, we curve the space-time continuum, so we get into another time line. Imagine the rooms of which I spoke, lie on a curved line next to each other. If we do not accurately calculate least where we want to go, then we open another door, so to speak. In the official reports of Doug and Tony, they mentioned experiences that we had not recorded because we could not detect them. Parallel worlds or parallel universes are much more difficult to describe or even to prove. Furthermore I have not so much thought about it, but when I was looking the other day at the computer archives for clues to my theory, I found some stories that would normally be regarded as fantasy or ghost stories. In all of these stories appeared people who had died a long time ago or were reported missing. People who disappear just as quickly. Perhaps there are parallel worlds besides our, visible, world and there are places where the border is permeable. Just as there are places on earth where the probability of an earthquake is greater than elsewhere."_

_Ann saw the doubt on the faces of her friends and added:_

_"This is a hobby of mine, these theories. I do not know if it can ever be proved. Just think once about it. What we do here in the tunnel is fantastic enough, so we should be open for more fantastic thoughts."_

_Doug squeezed her hand._

_"You're right, Ann. Nothing is impossible. So you think that the dark person comes not from our world? "_

_Angie Malcolm interjected._

_"If you think about it, it's not far-fetched. As quickly as it was gone."_

_Jerry, who had only been listening all the time, shook his head._

_"I do not want to tread on someones toes, but there is also the possibility that it is just a normal person. Someone who wants to explore something, or perhaps someone who was asked to shadowing you. Did you ever think about that the time tunnel is interesting even for people who have nothing to do with the government, who simply want to do business. "_

_Doug looked dubiously at Briggs._

_"Business? What kind of business do you mean?"_

_"There are people, who believe, that when they go to the past and change something there, then their present life will be easier. Others want the thrill, for example, to experience something of which they have only read about. And then of course there are some who want to sell the technology of the tunnel profitable."_

_Tony looked around._

_"I'm afraid that Jerry is right. I have not told you about my first conversation with Henry Trenton. "_

_Newman told of Trenton's strange ideas and added._

_"If this smart businessman thinks so, then also others will do. We should have a talk with him at the party."_

_Nigel had ordered coffee for everyone and sat down again._

_"In any case, we should establish surveillance systems. That said, I have already one. My father insisted. Maybe he also heard rumors that our work is regarded as a new business idea. Could also be, that my father has thus only responded to the news of Maggie and I. "_

_Thus, Nigel Partridge had the attention of all. Only Angie, who knew what he wanted to say, leaning back relaxed._

_Nigel was back on, picked up his coffee cup and looked around._

_"My friends, I must tell you that Maggie and I are expecting a baby. If all goes well, it will come to the world in March."_

_He accepted the congratulations and promised that he and Maggie would be at Trenton's party and there they could also celebrate the joyous surprise._

_In the afternoon they tried again to bring the tunnel online, but the energy fluctuations prevented it._

_Doug sat on the edge of Ann's console._

_"Are you angry?"_

_She looked up._

_"No, why?"_

_"Because most doubt your theory."_

_"What about you? Do you doubt it?"_

_"No, your theories are interesting. Let us think about it together, later."_

_Ann stroked his cheek briefly._

_"Thank you, dear."_

_"Did you have any idea who might be the shadow?"_

_"Doug, it's all so confusing. Perhaps it was also my dreams mixed with my theory. Earlier when I saw the photo of Ballard, I thought he was the shadow. I do not mean the Professor, I mean the Duke, Do you understand? "_

_"I almost thought so. Would have been also my choice. This would also make sense if we think of Althea Waversham. Anyway, I'll take care of a monitoring system. And when it actually is not a visit from the past, we have at least one handle to convince the police to take action. "_

_Doug kissed his wife on the temple._

_"Can you let run a simulation again? Nigel, Tony and I want to see the reaction itself. Jerry has a good idea, we will try it out next week. I'll tell you on the way home."_

_Ann was tired and she was looking forward to a quiet evening with Doug. She smiled to herself. She had found, what she had wanted as a little girl, she had found someone, who loved her unconditionally, just as she was. And she loved Doug as he was. And he was different than before, more open, more emotional. They would cuddle on the couch and go to bed early._

_But it was not to be. They had taken leave of the others. Tony promised to call later and successively all got into their cars. Because Doug had left his phone lying, he went back again. When he stepped out of the main building, there was a thud. He ran to his car and saw Ann standing there, her face white and her eyes wide open._

_"Ann, what happened, are you alright?"_

_"Doug, there's something explodes, look, there in the second hairpin. Angie was in the first car and Tony just beyond. I do not know if the explosion happened before the cars drove by or after."_

_Doug opened the passenger door, forcing Ann to sit down, then he jumped behind the wheel and started the car._

_"Ann, take the phone and tell the police and the ambulance service."_

_TBC_


	5. Chapter 5: Trenton's Party

_**AN: On with the story. This chapter is a little longer and has a little bit more about Tony Newman in it. Enjoy!**_

_There were a lot of people present at Henry Trenton's party. Doug, Ann and Tony arrived together. Only the patch on Tony's forehead still reminded of the incident yesterday. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. A few scratches, some bruised ribs and a demolished car were the results of the explosion. The FBI had intervened, but as yet was the cause of the detonation unclear._

_Trenton greeted his guests enthusiastically._

_"Welcome, my friends. I'm relieved that you are all unharmed. I had a talk with Dr. Briggs earlier, poor guy, his car is a totally write-off, he told me. And how are you?"_

_Tony, Doug and Ann shared an amused look as Tony answered:_

_"We are fine, Mr. Trenton, really. I have a little cut on the forehead, nothing serious."_

_"Do you know what's behind it?" asked Trenton, while he led his guests to the bar, where already sat Jerry, Nigel, Maggie and Angie._

_Doug shook his head._

_"No, Mr. Trenton. We are just as clueless as the police."_

_After Trenton has turned back to the other guests, the tunnel team awaited the arrival of Kirk and Swain._

_Nigel told them, that his father would also be in attendance tonight and added:_

_"He was very mysterious on the phone, when he said, that he has news concerning our project."_

_Swain and Kirk arrived together with Senator Partridge, who embraced first his daughter in law and then Angie Malcolm._

_"How are you both, my dears? And how is my future grandchild?"_

_In this moment the others remembered Nigel's announcement from the day before and they congratulated Maggie and had a drink on her health and happiness. Angie was happy to became an aunt. After some small talk, Senator Partridge beckoned the Tunnel team over to a quiet corner._

_"Before Trenton make his announcement later, I will tell you the news itself. As you know, Trenton has bought the hardware factory in the commercial area. He has made an offer to the government and they accepted. To make a long story short. He is the new provider for any hardware needed by project Tic Toc."_

_It was clear, that the members of the team had mixed emotions at the involvement of a civilian businessman. Especially Tony and Doug, who's trust in the government had lessened considerably, voiced their concerns. _

_But when Henry Trenton announced his new endeavor, they kept their thoughts to themselves._

_The party was in full swing, when Trenton came to the assembled team, an unknown man and an equally unknown woman by his side._

"_May I introduce you to my niece and my nephew? Marleena and Saye Trenton! They are twins. My brother has emigrated to England thirty years ago, since then I never again heard from him. Imagine my surprise when his children suddenly got in touch with me. Saye is a physicist like Dr. Malcolm and Marleena is a computer scientist. They both work for my company now and if you need something for your project, they will be happy to help you."_

_Marleena Trenton smiled and greeted the staff from Tic Toc. Her eyes were fixed on Dr. Phillips._

_"Oh, I think it will be my pleasure to help you, with everything you need."_

_Doug felt Ann's elbow in his back._

_"Pleased to meet you, Miss Trenton. May I introduce Dr. Ann MacGregor-Phillips to you. She is the leading computer scientist at our project... and my wife."_

_If Marleena Trenton was disappointed, she did not show it and turned to Tony._

_"Tonight we are not here for business, but only for amusement. Don't you think so?"_

_And as Newman nodded, she held out her hand and smiled at him._

_"Then maybe you are so kind to dance the next dance with me?"_

_Saye Trenton shook his head almost imperceptible._

_"Don't take her too serious. She is a great scientist but today she is in party mood. I'm pleased to meet you all. I have heard so much about project Tic Toc. Maybe, I could see the time-machine, if you agree."_

_"Time-machine isn't the right description, but you are welcome to see for yourself, Dr. Trenton." answered Doug._

_Nigel looked at the young man._

_"I think, you should come with my father, Senator Partridge. He will visit us after the weekend. And of course, your sister is welcome too. Am I right, Doug?"_

_Phillips nodded and stood up._

_"Enough talk about work. As far as I know this is a party and I will now, if she agrees to, dance with my wife."_

_As Ann looked around she saw Angie dancing with Saye Trenton and Tony was still occupied with Marleena, the very pretty, dark haired and blue eyed, scientist._

_Only when Doug pulled her closer to him, she looked in his eyes._

_"Are you jealous, Ann?"_

_"Sorry, Doug, but how she looked at you!"_

_" I love it if you are so possessive."_

_"It's not such a nice feeling."_

_"For one: I love you, secondly: You will never have a reason to be jealous and third: You are the most beautiful woman here."_

_"Thank you."_

_They also danced the next dance._

_"Ann, what do you think of Trenton and his business, apart from his niece and his nephew?"_

_"Trenton is somewhat annoying, but he seems to be a nice guy with many far fetched ideas. Until now he has not dealt with hardware or other technical equipment. Why now?"_

_Doug thought about it for a moment._

_"Look, he is married, but has no children of his own. Maybe he made this business for his relatives."_

"_Who are just now contacting him? After such a long time? Maybe I am really paranoid, but I'm suspicious about this two. And it has nothing to do with, that she was flirting with you."_

_"Maybe Tony had something to say after he danced so much with her."_

_But when they get together with their friends later at the bar again, Tony smiled as he answered Doug's question:_

_"Marleena? Oh, she wasn't so much interested in me, but more in you, Doug. She asked a lot of questions about you and about your relationship with your wife."_

_"Nonsense, Tony!"_

_"It's not a joke Doug. She is a little strange."_

_"And her brother too," said Angie, who had danced with Saye Trenton._

_"He nearly interrogated me about Ann. I think, we should have an eye on them."_

_"Ssh! They are coming over with Henry Trenton and his wife." whispered Ann._

_"I hope you enjoy our party! I wish I had more time to talk with you, but maybe I can visit you at Time Tunnel Mountain and bring my niece and nephew with me. Senator Partridge told me, he will visit your project on Monday. If it is agreeable to you, we were happy to accompany him."_

_Kirk nodded._

_"Of course, Mr. Trenton."_

_Doug looked at the businessman with curiosity._

_"What did you say? Time Tunnel Mountain?"_

_Trenton laughed._

_"Oh I read it today in the newspaper. There was a reportage about the explosion. The reporter named the Mountain after the goal of your project. And it sounds right, or don't you think so?"_

_Mrs. Emmy Trenton stayed a little longer after her husband and his relatives were gone, to attend to other guests._

_"I hope my husband isn't too intrusive. He likes you all so much and is eager to hear about your adventures."_

_"Be sure, Mrs Trenton, we like your husband too. And of our adventures he can read in nearly every newspaper and magazine." answered Tony._

_"I know, Mr. Newman. But we all would be happy if you come for dinner to us someday in the next week."_

_Doug and Ann shared a look with Kirk and Ray and Ann nodded._

_"We are very busy right now, but if you say a date, we will be happy to come over."_

_"That's nice, we are nearly neighbors. I will talk to Henry and he gives you the invitation when he visits you at your work."_

_When Mrs Trenton was gone, the team discussed Trenton's extraordinary interest in their work._

_Kirk and Partridge, who had heard the conversation, were of the opinion, that Trenton was harmless. But especially Doug, Ann and Tony had a bad feeling about this._

_"I can't put my thumb on it," pondered Ann._

_"But something is bothering me._

_Doug agreed, and Tony added:_

_"It's not Henry alone. His relatives are friendly and seem to be honest, but as Ann said, there is something that warns me to be careful."_

_Doug stood up and finished his drink._

_"Then we will be careful. But we had worries enough for one evening. Ann, may I have the next dance?"_

_"I had thought you would never ask, come on, let's dance." _

_Smiling, Doug took her hand in his and led her to the dance floor. Tony watched them for a while, then he turned around and ordered a new drink. _

_Angie, who sat beside him, nudged him with her elbow._

_"One could become envious when you see the two."_

_Tony nodded, ordered a drink for her and thought for a moment._

_"No, I'm not envious, or maybe, a little. I don't begrudge them their happiness, but somehow it makes me think about my own. And every day I discover new things about Doug, I were not aware of. You know, Angie, when I went into the time vortex, we were colleagues and some sort of friends too, but we weren't very close. But then suddenly we were dependent on each other. We were as close as brothers, when we came back. And I had thought I knew Doug very well."_

_He shrugged his shoulders and when Angie laid her hand on his, he smiled at her._

_"Sorry to burden you with my boring talk. Would you like to dance with me, Angie?"_

_"Of course Tony. And you weren't boring at all. I understand that it isn't easy to get used to another lifestyle. Morality, way of acting and thinking have changed since your time. And therefore I love to watch Doug and Ann together. They are so sure of each other and they are so in love, it is heartwarming, really. And it makes me think, that sometime and somehow I will find my own true love."_

_They had reached the dance floor and they stood up in dancing posture._

_When they danced over to Doug and Ann, the two smiled at them._

_Another three pairs of eyes watched the dancing floor with interest._

_Jerry, who fought with himself whether he should ask Ann to dance, or rather not, Saye Trenton, who threw admiring glances to Ann and Angie, and Marleena Trenton, which was not used to, that a man ignored her. In her mind she made plans to seduce Dr. Phillips. Until now she had always got what she wanted. And maybe she could use the man sitting next to her at the bar for it, who got eyes like a moon calf, whenever he looked at Ann MacGregor-Phillips._

_Miss Trenton whispered something in her brothers ear and Saye turned to Jerry with a beaming smile._

_"I really envy you, Dr. Briggs. You work for Project Tic Toc and be friends with this fascinating people. Not to mention the gorgeous women in the team. Especially Dr. MacGregor-Phillips is a true beauty. My uncle told me, that she is a real lady, regardless if she wears her lab coat or jeans and a T-Shirt. And tonight she looks stunning. Don't you think also?"_

_Jerry readily agreed to this statement without taking his eyes from the dancing floor._

_Saye continued:_

_"Such a pity, that she is married. Do you think, she is happy? I never met a woman like her."_

_Briggs frowned as he answered:_

_"She is a Lady and she is obviously happy in her marriage. And of course she is a friend of mine. Be careful with what you are saying."_

_"Oh please, I would assume nothing. Also Dr. Malcolm is a very good looking woman. I've heard that she and you are more than friends, or is this assumption equally wrong?"_

_"Dr. Malcolm and I are colleagues and we share a loosely friendship, nothing more. Why do you ask?"_

_"I had a dance with her earlier and wanted to ask her again."_

_"I think, she would like it, Dr. Trenton. But Dr. Newman has maybe something against it."_

_Jerry felt himself abandoned by all. Dr. MacGregor gave him hardly a look and Angie showed suddenly an interest in Newman. He couldn't fathom it. When Marleena came back to the bar and asked him, if he would dance with her, he took her hand without hesitation and led her to the other dancers. Marleena was a beautiful woman and she was very unreserved in her behavior. She put her arms around Jerry's neck, and was pressing herself tight against his body._

_"Why don't you look at me, Jerry? May I call you Jerry? Or not?"_

_"Of course you can call me by my christian name, Miss Trenton."_

_"Oh no, Jerry. for you I'm not Miss Trenton. Call me Marleena, or better Marly as all my friends do. And we are friends now, don't you think so? I would like that."_

_Jerry, who was a reticent man, was a little bit overwhelmed from the advances shown by Marleena, but as he looked to the side and saw Ann and Doug dancing in a tight embrace and whisper to each other, he drew Marleena closer and smiled at her._

_"I would like it very much to be friends with you."_

_Jerry don't saw the smug smile on Marleenas face as she nestled herself against his chest. _

_It was late at night, as Doug, Ann, Tony and Angie said goodbye to their hosts. Kirk, the Partridges and Dr. Swain were gone sooner._

_Angie Malcolm, who had come with Jerry, had to find that he seemingly was disappeared._

_Tony took her by the arm._

_"I will walk you home!"_

_"Nonsense, Tony. I live in the city. That is much to far away from here. I will call a cab."_

_Tony hesitated shortly._

_"Don't get me wrong, Angie. But if you agreeable to it, you can stay at my place tonight."_

_"Or you can stay in our guestroom, Angie," offered Ann._

_"You're sweet, all of you. But I haven't anything with me. No toothbrush, nothing at all."_

_Ann laughed._

_"I'm sure we have an unused toothbrush somewhere and you can borrow a pajama from me."_

_"Do not be angry with me, I would still like to return to my home."_

_Tony seemed a little bit disappointed._

_"I could come with you, Angie. If you want, I mean. I will stay with you and we can go for breakfast in the morning somewhere in town."_

_"If you want, Tony, we can make it so. But I warn you. The settee is comfortable but small."_

_"I'm sure I have slept in worse accommodations."_

_Angie and Ann concerns lay more to where Jerry has vanished._

_"I believe, he is gone with Marleena Trenton. For the last two hours they seemed to be joined at the hip." declared Doug._

_"How about Ann and Doug joining us for breakfast? There's an ancient little Cafe in the part of town where I'm living. I love to have my breakfast there, they have homemade jam and different teas. And the coffee is the best I ever drank. Plus, we can talk a little more about this evening. The Cafe is very cozy." Angie was enthusiastic._

_"Good idea, Angie. We call you or you call us, when you are ready for it." Doug said and added._

_"It's cold tonight. Let's go home, Ann."_

_"Good night, Tony, good night Angie."_

_Angie smiled:_

_"Have a good nights sleep, both of you."_

_Doug saw the cab coming._

_"Good night, Angie. Sleep well, Tony." _

_Taking his friend a few steps away, Doug whispered:_

_"What is it with Angie and you?"_

_"Nothing, Doug, we are friends and I don't want to be alone this night."_

_"That I can understand. Good Night, we see us for breakfast."_

_Ann and he waited until the cab was gone, then the strolled hand in hand toward their house._

_"Did you enjoy this evening, Ann?"_

_"Yes, I did. Even if we made some strange new acquaintances. Do you really believe, that Jerry is with Miss Trenton?"_

_"Oh yes. They were very obvious in their interactions. But better Jerry is with her, than she is pursuing me."_

_"Absolutely, Doug. And maybe there is a real affection between them, so that Jerry forgets his obsession with me."_

_"That would be a great relief for me. Because I want to be the only one, who is obsessed with you."_

_Ann snuggled closer at his arm._

_"So you are still obsessed with me?"_

_"I will show it to you, when we are at home."_

_"Mmmh, sounds good."_

_Suddenly Doug became serious._

_"I can hardly believe that we are back for almost a year. And we have been married just as long. It is as if it were yesterday. But when you ask me, it was the best time of my life so far."_

_Ann hugged him and snuggled into his arms._

_"I feel the same way, Doug. If I think of the past, I was always lonely. Except the few months before you were gone."_

_"Come on, dearest, I get some ideas how to celebrate our nearly anniversary."_

_She smiled at him with a mischievous glint in her eye._

"_Now you made me very curious!"_

_***************************TT********************* ****************_

_Angie Malcolm unlocked the door of her apartment and let Tony Newman go by._

_They had not talked much while they sat in the taxi and Angie was unsure about the reason why Tony wanted to stay with her._

_"What about a coffee, Tony? Or are you very tired?"_

_"I'm not a bit tired, Angie. I just do not like to be alone this night. All I want is someone with whom I can talk. You need not fear that I .. well, you know! "_

_She smiled about his openness._

_"You are really cute, Tony. I'll make us coffee, then we can sit on the couch or ... you come with me into the bedroom. My bed is very wide, we can sit and talk until sleep overpowered us. And you need not fear that I will seduce you." she said with a twinkle in her eyes._

_Angie had changed and was now wearing a pajama pants and a t-shirt. They sipped their coffee and after a while Angie said:_

_"We have known each other for quite a while but we never really talked."_

_Tony relaxed more and more and asked:_

_"What do you want to know?"_

_"Should I not ask you what you want to talk about?"_

_So Tony told her about his childhood and his years at the academy, his first day at project Tic Toc._

_"You see, Angie, I was always a loner, not by choice, but nonetheless. I have rarely fallen in love and if so, it never lasted long. I think it's me. Maybe I feel too little. Or not the right thing. Or I am just not able to tie me to someone. As strange as it sounds, the first time in my life that I was not alone, was the time when Doug and I traveled through time. We were always together, in every adventure, every time we were in the vortex. Sometimes we were separated at one or the other experience, but never for long. Even when we were reunited with Ann, we were a close trio. I felt now and then guilty because I was almost always at the two. But Doug said it would be fine. For him his way was clear. He would marry Ann, in 1275 or in the present or in the future. For him it was always Ann."_

_Angie had grabbed Tony's hand._

_"Were you ever infatuated with Ann?"_

_Newman shook his head._

_"Never, from the first moment on she was like a big sister and a very good friend."_

_"And Althea's great-grandma? Were you in love with her?"_

_Tony stroked his thumb over Angie's wrist._

_"I don't know. It was all so unreal. We had only few conversations and, to tell the truth, we quarreled nearly the whole time. I liked her, she was a beautiful woman and Althea looks exactly like her. But love? I thought I had fallen in love with your friend Althea, but now I'm not so sure anymore. The only time where I was sure, that I had seriously fallen in love, was in the past, as Doug and I met with Genghis Khan. I saw one of his daughters, Sarit, and it had happened to me. Of course I knew it was hopeless. But I resisted as long as possible against this finding. Doug tried to talk me out of my feelings. He had no success. I would have stayed in the past, for Sarit I would have done it. But ... the team was concerned that it would be impossible to transport Doug alone and so I had to give her up. Doug tried to comfort me and told me that she would marry a young man from Europe. It was no consolation. It was, as if I should convince Doug, that Ann must marry another man."_

_"Do you love her still?"_

_"Sarit? I'm not sure. When Doug and I where in the past, in Acre, I was determined, to travel to China. But at this time Sarit could not have been more than a toddler. So we went to Carlisle and then to Galashiels and my thoughts were with Sarit and how long I had to wait until I could make the trip to China. But now all this seems so far away. I want to stay here in this time. Now, we have so many opportunities for our project. It's just, I do not know how to explain it, it is sometimes quite confusing. When we were still working under the desert, we were cut off from the outside world. We were always informed of that, what happened "out there". But we were always so busy with our project, that everything else seemed unimportant. Now, we work openly, not in secret, we live a real life in the real world. Do you understand what I mean, Angie? "_

_"I think, I do. It all happened too fast. You would have needed more time for acclimatization."_

_"Maybe. But perhaps it is also due to myself. I did not understand what Althea meant, when she said, that the times have changed. I have done so on, as if nothing had changed. And that was wrong."_

_"Give yourself time, Tony. As my mother always said: One step after the other. You'll see, if you do not want to solve all problems at once, it becomes easier! And, if you need someone, who will listen, I am here for you."_

_Tony turned to Angie._

_"Has someone told you lately, that you are a wonderful friend?"_

_"Actually, yes!"_

_"And that you are a very beautiful woman?"_

_"Tony!" said Angie warningly, but with a smile._

_Newman hesitated for a moment, but then he came closer and drew Angie into his arms._

_They looked at each other, both were hesitant, but after a moment their lips met for a cautious kiss._

_****************************TT******************** *****************_

_When Tony awoke, he was feeling a little guilty. He had promised, that nothing would happen between them. But after the kiss everything else had been so self-evident. He turned in the bed, but he was alone. But then he heard the noise of the shower. He stretched himself and got out of bed._

_In this moment, Angie entered the bedroom._

_"Good morning, Tony!"_

_"Hey, good morning to you!"_

_Tony took her in his arms and kissed her._

_"Would you like to shower, Tony?"_

_"How about if we go back to bed?"_

_"We have a date for breakfast, remember? "_

_Tony looked a little disappointed. Angie gave him a small kiss on the cheek and said:_

_"Tony, it was a wonderful night, and I like you very much. But let us not rush things, okay?"_

_"But you will give it a try?"_

_"We will see, where this road will take us. But for now, I want breakfast."_

_Tony had called Doug. They would meet in half an hour in the cafe. Angie put on a coat because the morning was chilly. When they left the apartment, Angie stumbled over a package that was outside the door. It was addressed to her in a hand writing, that she did not knew. It seemed to be a big folder or maybe a big book. _

_"I haven't a clue what this is, but I will take it with me to the cafe. Are you ready, Tony? We can go on foot, It isn't far away."_

_*****************************TT******************* *******************_

_Doug had fueled the Cadillac and then came back to fetch Ann, who had phoned Ray. He saw, how she opened the post box and took out a newspaper._

_When she got into the car, he asked:_

_"What is this?"_

_Ann glanced at the newspaper in her hand and drew a sharp breath. She handed it over to Doug, who read some sentences with curiosity. Then he looked up and over at Ann._

_"We will take it with us. Could be an interesting reading for breakfast.."_

_TBC..._


	6. Chapter 6: A Newspaper, A Diary and an I

_**AN.: The newest chapter brings some excitement with it. Our heroes must deal with more mysterious things. As long as the Tunnel isn't functioning properly, nobody can travel with it or however maybe yet? Maybe I cannot update this story regularly for the next couple of weeks, but I will try to do it. Enjoy Chapter six!**_

_Angie was right. The old fashioned Cafe was comfortable and friendly furnished. Doug pointed at a corner in the background where Tony and Angie were seated. He took Ann's hand and they joined their friends at the table. Doug observed Tony closely, he knew him well enough to see, that his friend had surely not slept on a couch. This smile told him, that Newman had not slept alone, if he had slept at all. _

_"Good morning. Are we late?" asked Ann._

_"No, not at all, how are you two? No hangover?"_

_Doug pulled the chair for Ann and waited until she was sitting. Then he took the place beside her,_

_"No, we haven't drunk too much yesterday. Have you already ordered breakfast?"_

_Newman grinned._

_"We only were here shortly before you came in."_

_He pointed at the newspaper, which Doug had placed on an empty chair._

_"Interesting news?"_

_"Let's have breakfast first. Maybe we will lose our appetite if we read it now."_

_Angie, who had quietly talked with Ann, nodded._

_"Then I also will unwrap the parcel later."_

_And after Ann's questioning look she added:_

_"I found it at my doorstep and I have no clue, who put it there."_

_Later they ordered a third round of coffee and Doug, who had read the report in the newspaper together with Ann, handed it over to Tony, who asked again:_

_"What is that?"_

_"It's a newspaper from Galashiels. It was in our post box. I don't know who put it there. But on the second page is a report about the archeological excavation of Professor Ballard. Read for yourself."_

_Meanwhile, Angie had opened the multiply wrapped box and brought a heavy folder to light. When she had thrown a look at it, she let out a strangled cry._

_"Angie, what is it, are you okay?"_

_Ann put her hand on her friends shoulder._

_Dr. Malcolm nodded._

_"Don't worry, Ann. I was only surprised. Let me have a look, if there is a note in the box." _

_Ann's curiosity was piqued._

_"You seem to know, what this is, Angie!"_

_"Yes, I do. There is something, I have to tell you, and Doug. But maybe not here. We can go to my apartment."_

_Ann sat beside her husband and Doug had laid his arm around her shoulders, when Angie told them about the diary that Althea had found in the cave behind the long dried-up waterfall._

_"We, that means, Althea and me wanted to save it, because in the moment, you three were back in our time, the original diary vanished. We knew this would happen and Althea and I had scanned and copied it page for page. We wanted to give it to you at the first anniversary of your wedding. But Althea wanted to take it with her. She said, that it is important for her work. She assured me that she would take care of it and make a book of it as a present for you. I don't know, why she sent it to me, without a word from her."_

_Ann thought for a moment._

_"Angie, does that mean, that we lived our remaining lifetime in the past?"_

_"Yes, but didn't Ray or Jerry or Nigel explain to you, that only because Althea found your diary, Project Tic Toc was re-opened?"_

_Newman, Phillips and Ann looked at each other and shook their heads._

_"But, I believe, that isn't so important anymore." said Tony and Ann added:_

_"Can I have a look at the diary?"_

_"It is yours, Ann. You have written it."_

_She took the folder hesitantly from Angie and looked at Doug's face. He smiled at her._

_"We will read it together, okay?"_

_Then she said thoughtfully:_

_"But you returned us, when we were only for a short time in Galashiels and I had my diary with me in my backpack. Seemingly it disappeared on the day when we came back. That isn't logical, but maybe someone took it from my backpack."_

_"Are you sure, Angie, that Althea sent this to you?" asked Tony._

_"No, I'm not, because it isn't her handwriting. And I'm sure that she would have written a letter for me or at least a little note. I'm very worried, even if Senator Partridge talked with Ballard."_

_Doug stood up._

_"Tony, have you read this report?"_

_His friend nodded and Doug explained to Angie and Ann:_

_"The newspaper says, that the assistant of Professor Ballard took a fall in a cave behind the old waterfall and was seriously injured. According to the report, he is still in the hospital in Galashiels. He? Has Ballard other assistants? Or maybe it's Althea, who was injured, and Ballard do not want that to be common knowledge."_

_Angie Malcolm frowned._

_"He has a lot of assistants, but Althea is the most important for him. I don't know if she showed him this diary. Remember, he is searching for evidence of his ancestors and I only met him two times, but I don't like Ballard, I think he could be a violent man." _

_Doug and Tony shared a look and Tony sighed:_

_"If he is in any way like his ancestor, than he is violent."_

_Ann, the ever practical scientist, stood up and said:_

_"How about we meet in the afternoon at our house? Until then, Angie could interview Senator Partridge about this telephone call to Ballard. Tony, you make a phone call to the Galashiels Hospital and inquire after Althea! Doug will contact Ray and Jerry, maybe they can also come over to us. And I will browse through this Folder, maybe there is a hidden note."_

_********************************TT**************** **************************_

_Angie Malcolm looked up at the gray clouds in the sky, hoping to make it to her car before it started to rain. She quickly walked over to her parking lot and had the feeling of being persecuted. When suddenly an umbrella appeared over her head from the middle of nowhere, she turned around startled._

_"Oh Tony, I nearly had a heart attack."_

_"Sorry for that, Angie. I thought we could go to my place today. Take with you, what you will need and tomorrow we start the week together, how does that sound?"_

_"Tony!"_

_"I know, I know, I had promised to take it slow with the two of us. But...Angie, it is such a good feeling not to be alone."_

_"Yes Tony, it is. And don't get me wrong, I like to be with you. Only that it is so new and I feel a little guilty compared to Jerry and Althea. Don't be angry with me, but I think, it is better, I stay home tonight. We can call each other if you like."_

_Tony nodded._

_"Okay, I understand it, Angie. I'll call on you later, but first I have to see Doug and Ann. Where you wanted to go just now?"_

_"My sister Maggie called me and I will bring her some DVDs. Nigel is meeting his uncle and his father and she is bored. Give Doug and Ann my regards!"_

_When Tony went back to the settlement, he thought about the events from yesterday. He had called the hospital in Galashiels, told the nurse that he was the betrothed of Althea Waversham and wished to speak to her. The nurse had informed a physician and he cited the secrecy and declared also that no Althea Waversham was in the hospital._

_Doug had indeed reached Ray, but Jerry answered neither his landline nor his cell phone. _

_Instead Ray brought General Kirk with him and Angie had Senator Partridge, Nigel's father and Governor Partridge, Nigel's uncle in tow._

_They had much to discuss and they talked until late in the night. Ann, glanced over the diary, but there was no indication that Althea had sent the folder to her friend Angie. In the end they decided that Senator Partridge along with Senator Clark would try to get through the diplomatic channel information to the whereabouts of Althea, without alerting Professor Ballard. _

_Tony didn't know, what he should think of the happenings. He and Doug were able to speak alone with each other for a moment and both were convinced that their project could be in jeopardy. Of course they would do everything in their power to avert any damage, but for this, they had to know, who was responsible for the explosion and the other weird happenings. _

_When Tony reached Doug's and Ann's house, he smiled. Obviously Ann had decorated the Entrance with pumpkins, witches and a garland of autumn leaves. He never had imagined, that Ann would do something so conventional. But it looked good and memories of his childhood came to his mind. He rang at the door and Doug let him in._

_"Hey, Tony, are you alone?"_

_"Yes. Why do you ask?"_

_Doug grinned._

_"Ann and I were thinking, that maybe Angie would be with you."_

_"I asked her, but she stays at her apartment tonight."_

_Ann hugged Tony and said:_

_"That's a pity." She hesitated for a moment and Tony raised his hand._

_"Please Ann, there is nothing to discuss, okay!"_

_"Okay, but let me say, you and Angie are looking good together. and if you want to talk, I'm sure, that Doug will listen, and I of course too."_

_Meanwhile Doug had filled three glasses with wine and now they sat at the fire place._

_"We have news, Tony!"_

_With raised eyebrows, Tony looked curiously at Doug._

_"What kind of news?"_

_"I got a call in the morning from an FBI Agent. He told me, that we had lots of luck, because the bomb was so powerful that it would have been enough to erase our entire complex. But the assassin had make a mistake with the ignition. It is like a miracle, that only Jerry's car was destroyed. And while we're at Jerry, he also called this morning to ask if Angie Malcolm is with us. He had tried in vain to reach her. Ann and I were considering whether we should tell him that she is probably with you, but then we acted as if we knew nothing."_

_Tony saw the smile on Doug's face and grinned himself._

_"Thank you, I don't want to be responsible for another bout of jealousy."_

_"I only hope, that Marleena Trenton is honest with Jerry. He is a really nice guy. His infatuation with me notwithstanding. I don't wish him to get hurt." Ann spoke up._

_Tony nodded._

_"You know him much better, than we do. But I think Marleena is a very spoiled woman, who always get what she wants. And if her is denied something, then she seize to unfair means. We should be wary of her."_

_"Tony, of that you can be sure, I have seen the looks, she gave to Doug."_

_"Don't take offense, Ann. But I thought more about her visit to our project! I'm sure she and her twin brother are up to something."_

_Doug shook his head. _

_" They are a little ...strange maybe. But I don't believe, that they are vicious. They heard only recently about Tic Toc, it's no wonder, that they are curious. Mrs. Trenton told me, that they lost their parents last year. We all know how painful that is. And now they are in a strange country. All this changes couldn't be easy, even if they are twins and always have someone to talk to."_

_Ann stood up and went to Dougs armchair. She sat down on the right arm-rest and stroked through Doug's hair._

_"You always see the best in people until they prove to be wrong."_

_She kissed him on the temple._

_"But that's, what I love about you."_

_"Well and good, Ann. But I will be on guard." said Tony._

_"As will I," added Ann._

_Doug put his arm around Anns waist._

_"I don't mean, that I will turn a blind eye on the Trenton Twins, but let's give them a chance."_

_Tony nodded and changed the subject._

_"Do you two have any ideas about our problem with the energy fluctuations?"_

_Doug stood up and went to their study. Coming back, he handed Tony some pages with calculations. _

_"I tried to find another approach. Ann compared our tests to the readings from our return transfer and feed this to the computer. But until now we have not found any relevant error. On Friday Jerry told me of an idea that he had. A kind of radiation shielding, of which he has read in a science magazine. In space research, this technique had been very successfully tested. We wanted to give it a try tomorrow, but with the impending visit of Trenton and his relatives together with the Governor we should postpone it."_

_Tony flipped volatile through the pages._

_"Can I take this with me, Doug?"_

_"Of course, it's a copy."_

_"Thanks and we should try it. But I'm of the same opinion than you. We should wait at least for another day."_

_Tony stood up._

_"It's time for me to go. I promised Angie a telephone call. Ah, I nearly forgot, she sends her regards."_

_Ann hugged Tony at parting._

_"Till tomorrow, sleep well."_

_"You too, bye!"_

_******************************TT****************** *******************_

_When Doug, who had brought his friend to the door, came back into the living room, he saw Ann lying on her stomach on the broad couch, the diary right in front of her. He stopped for a moment in the doorway, watching her with fascination. She wore her dark hair down and it surrounded her face in soft waves. Some streaks shone in the light like liquid copper. She wore a thin workout pant and a tank-top, she was barefoot and her lower legs she had stretched in the air. Sometimes he could hardly believe that she belonged to him. _

_She was so engrossed in the diary, that she startled when Doug laid a hand on her back._

_"May I join you?" he ask in a low voice, that always sent shivers down her spine._

_She only nodded and Doug slid beside her on the couch._

_He brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear and kissed her cheek._

_"Is it really your handwriting?"_

_"Yes, beyond doubt. As far as I had read it, It contains my memories since the day, I woke up in Mairead's cottage. I came just now to the entry about our journey to Galashiels. Now I do not dare, to read forward."_

_"I understand, Ann. But aren't you at least a little bit curios?"_

_Ann leaned her head at Dougs shoulder._

_"Yes and no. On one hand I'm very curios, on the other hand, I am afraid of what I might have to read."_

_She closed her eyes, as Doug soothingly caressed her back._

_"You have no reason to be afraid, Ann. Even, if we have lived our life's in the past, we are here now. This diary is some sort of tale. As I said earlier, we will read it together, okay?"_

_They drank the remaining wine, lay side by side on the couch and read more than an hour in the diary. Soon they came to the entry in which Ann described their meeting at the waterfall and later the wedding. Doug put his arm around Ann and whispered in her ear._

_"Too bad we can only read about it. I would like to swim with you in the pond, not to mention, what we were doing later. " He paused._

_"And as it seems, we had a beautiful wedding with all our friends from this time."_

_After they had read about Angharad and the birth of her child and the part about the Duke, who had cast out not only his daughter, but his underaged heir also, Doug turned onto his back and drew Ann into his arms._

_"It read like an adventure Story. But to tell you the truth, there are some things that I've dreamed in recent times."_

_Absent-minded Ann painted with a finger invisible circles on Doug's chest._

_"This went on for me that way. I'm dreaming again of the cottage in the woods, the fact that we are in search of Tony. Sometimes it's just confusing things that I can not assign."_

_"I just do not understand that we dream of things that we have not experienced. If I, let's say, would dream that I'm with you at the waterfall, then it would made more sense anyway because I often dream of you." Doug kissed his wife tenderly._

_There was silence for some time, because they were busy with each other._

_********************************TT**************** ****************************_

_Tony Newman drew the cold night air deeply in his lungs. Until now it had been a pleasant autumn, but now the first night frost seemed to threaten. Autumn was Tony's favorite season, he loved the smell of wood fire, which rose from the chimneys and the occasional fog in the morning. The melancholy that seemed to lie over the country, was well suited to his own emotional state. When he arrived at his home, he put Doug's calculations on the coffee table, put wood in his fireplace and went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. When his phone rang, he went back into the living room. He grinned. Angie seemingly longed for him._

_But when he answered, it was not Angie. First came no answer, then he heard someone breathing quickly, before the caller hung up. The same thing happened three more times. Since the caller ID was not displayed, Newman could make no recall. Tony thought for a moment whether he should notify Doug. But then he remembered his promise and dialed the phone number of Dr. Malcolm._

_Angie was immediately on the phone and her voice sounded distraught._

_"Angie? What is it? Are you okay?"_

_She did not answer immediately, and Tony could hear her take a deep breath._

_"Tony, could you maybe come over to me or I to you?"_

_"Yes, of course. What happened to you, Angie?"_

_"I ... I get calls for an hour. First, no one was in it, then I heard someone whisper, but could not understand anything. But then, at the last call ... it was Althea, Tony. No. I'm sure of it. She sounded strange, she ... she asked me if I knew who she was. "_

_Newman told the physicist of the calls that he got._

_"Tony? I know, I've said that I want to be alone today. But now I'm not so sure. If it is right with you, I can come to you."_

_"Good idea, come here. Maybe I'll get a call and then we should tell Doug and Ann."_

_"I'm as good as gone. But why should we notify Doug and Ann? I mean, maybe we should alert the governor or our senators."_

_"We can talk about it, if you are here. I'm waiting for you!"_

_He had barely hung up, when the phone rang again. Also this time was no phone number on the display._

_"Hello, who's there. Althea, is that you?" _

_First there was an acoustic noise, and then, from very far away, a woman's voice barely understandable._

_"Are you Dr. Newman?"_

_"Yes, but who's there?"_

_"A friend of your girlfriend. She forgot her own name, but she always asks for Dr. Tony Newman. I do not have much time, we have to leave."_

_The connection was unstable._

_"We ... England ... Scottish border ... time ...wrong"_

_Then the conversation was interrupted._

_*****************************TT******************* *************_

_Ann MacGregor-Phillips opened her eyes lazily. She did not know what had awakened her and found out that she and Doug were still on the couch. They must have fallen asleep after they had yielded to the passion that had overwhelmed them. It felt so good to lay in Doug's arms, this skin to skin feeling. _

_But something was not right. Abruptly, she sat up, throwing the blanket with which she was covered, on the floor and listened intently._

_"Doug, Doug wake up!"_

_She shook his shoulders_

_"Doug, please wake up!"_

_Phillips was startled._

_"Ann, what's wrong?"_

_She put her finger over her lips._

_"Quiet. Doug, it's someone in the house."_

_"You are dreaming, Ann."_

_"No Doug, stop that! Someone is walking upstairs."_

_"Damn, I have not turned on the alarm system."_

_Phillips quickly got up, pulled on his pants and slipped into the study, where he had a revolver in a desk drawer._

_In the meantime, Ann had called the police and had received the promise that a police car would be with them immediately._

_When she saw that Doug wanted to go with the gun in hand towards the stairs, she went to him._

_"No, Doug, do not! The police will be here soon. Leave it to the officials, please!"_

_"You wait here Ann, do not worry, I'll be fine."_

_"No, Doug, stay here, please!"_

_Already walking, he whispered:_

_"All I will do, is to see if there really is somebody. I'll be right back."_

_Ann stood trembling with fear at the door. Where was the police?_

_At the same moment as the patrol car finally stopped in front of the house, she heard a crash from the upper floor, then dropped a shot and a figure clad in black, fled down the stairs, through the living room and out into the garden. The officials had divided themselves. One ran around the house, while the other took the same path as the intruder._

_Ann ran beside herself with fear up the stairs. The first thing she saw was Doug's revolver and a trail of blood on the carpet. She staggered and before she took a fall, two strong arms embraced her from behind._

_TBC..._


	7. Chapter 7: Presumptions

_**AN.: Our heroes made many realizations and presumptions, while the whole affair gets more mysterious. And what is Jerry about? We will see in one of the next chapters. Reviews of all kind are welcome. Read and enjoy.**_

_**P.S.: In two of the former chapters I named Trenton Harry instead of Henry, I've changed that!**_

_The emergency physician had cleaned and bandaged the stab wound on Doug's wrist. Meanwhile Ann had told the police officers all that happened and gave a description of the intruder as exact as possible. But she neither had seen his face, nor the color of his hair. _

_She looked up, when Doug came into the living room, where the interview took place. With worry in her eyes, she grabbed his hand and drew him onto the couch, where she was sitting. Phillips smiled soothingly and laid his arm around her shoulders. He kissed her temple and said:_

_"I'm well, Ann. It is only a scratch. The blood on the carpet, that gave you the creeps, wasn't mine. He had a knife and flung himself at me, but I shot him in the left arm. And how it looks, I scored a hit."_

_The police officers had only a few questions left. _

_"Dr. Phillips, Dr. MacGregor-Phillips, we will take care of the situation. Please never forget to switch on the alarm system. We will send a patrol car to supervise this settlement for a few days and nights. If the intruder is really injured, he will go to a hospital or to a physician. So we will alert all hospitals and physicians or surgeons in this area. Can you think of something, that might explain this intrusion? Maybe it has something to do with your work?"_

_Doug shrugged his shoulders._

_"After the explosion at Thursday evening I'm sure it has do with our work. Maybe the burglar tried to steal the design plans and development protocols, but they are not here in the house. And our calculations are worthless for a non-scientist."_

_The police captain nodded._

_"So you think, he did not act from his own interest?"_

_Doug shrugged again with his shoulders._

_"It could be so. On the other hand, he went upstairs to the bedroom and so far I've seen, he has ransacked the night tables and a dresser, before I've disturbed him."_

_After some more questions, the policemen left them alone. Doug made sure that the alarm system was switched on and went back to the living room, but Ann wasn't there anymore. He switched the lights off and went upstairs. He heard the shower running and threw himself onto the bed. Ann's diary of the past lay on her nightstand and Doug couldn't resist to take a look at her entries._

_He was so immersed in his reading, that he was startled, when Ann touched his back._

_Her look was seemingly calm, but Doug could tell that she was angry. Not because he had read in the diary, so much was clear to him. He turned around to face her and took her hand._

_"Come here, darling. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."_

_Ann closed her eyes. _

_"Doug, he could have killed you," she admonished him. _

_"I'm not quite so helpless, dearest, as you should know. It was a calculated risk."_

_Now she was really angry, her eyes shoot daggers at him._

_"So you think? A calculated risk? What if he had not only a knife, but a gun? What if he had heard you coming and had attacked you at once? What if..."_

_With a swift move, Doug drew Ann in his arms, and closed her mouth with a passionate kiss._

_When both were out of breath he cradled her in his embrace._

_"No more "what if's", okay? I'm alive and as I said, I'm sorry."_

_She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him._

_"You're forgiven. But, please, don't get yourself in danger again. I love you so much, I can't go on without you in my life."_

_Doug was touched by her words. He took her chin in his hand and lifted it, so that he could look in her eyes._

"_I'm really sorry, Ann. I acted without thinking And...you won't lose me, never. I promise!"_

_**************************TT********************** *******************_

_Dr. Newman and Dr. Malcolm had a heated debate about the phone calls. While Angie Malcolm was absolutely sure, that she had recognized Althea's voice, Tony doubted the authenticity of what they have heard._

_"Angie, think about it! If it is really Althea and she had lost her memory, then why she knew your phone number and my name?"_

_"Why ever not, Tony? I'm her oldest friend, her best friend. And you and her were very close. Seemingly she is in danger and someone is with her and helping her. We must go to England, Tony. Or better, I will go. I'm not so important for project Tic Toc. And I knew Althea very well. Maybe I can get in contact with Professor Ballard! He told Nigel's dad, that he would fly back to Carlisle on the morrow. Maybe I can get a seat at the same plane tomorrow morning. Then I have the opportunity for a talk about Althea with the Professor."_

_Tony held her by the upper arms._

_"Angie! Angie, stop it right here. You can't just go on an unplanned search for Althea. What if I'm right and this call's were a ruse? We don't know what is behind this all. I talked to Doug earlier. He is sure, that all that happened lately has to do with our work. It looks, like we are all in some kind of danger. And, by the way, you're important, not only for the project but also for me and your friends here."_

_With a heavy sigh, Angie Malcolm put her arms around Tony's neck. _

_"You're so sweet, Tony. But, you and I, we are like ships that meet at night. You know, what I mean? It...it was wonderful last night and I would like to experience it once more, but I don't believe, that we are meant for each other. Don't get me wrong, Tony, I like you a lot. I'm sure, I could fall in love with you. But...but it would not last."_

_If she believed Tony would turn away from her, she was wrong. He drew her in a tight embrace and kissed her._

_"I know, Angie, I know. But somehow I really wish, that it would be different._

_Please, stay with me tonight. Tomorrow we can talk with Doug and all the others and make a plan."_

_Kissing him back, she smiled at Tony and whispered:_

_"I would like to stay and I would like it, if we make love like yesterday."_

_Blushing, but with a smirk, Tony kissed her again and said:_

_"It will be my pleasure."_

_*****************************TT******************* *************_

_After the third time he awoke from a restless sleep, Doug stared at the ceiling of the bedroom. He tried to make sense of the events of the last days.. If he was honest with himself, he had a bad feeling since the Tunnel was brought to Colorado. He never saw the logic in this move. And the only explanation he and his team had got, was, that the government thought it wise. The crux was, he didn't have trust in the government anymore. Finally the Government had abandoned him and Tony._

_A movement beside him catches his attention. Ann was lying, like so often, snuggled on him, her head on his chest and her left hand on his thighs. The tenderness he felt for her, was something he was still not used to. And he never would get tired of it. He felt her move and stroked her back._

_"Mmh Doug. Can't you sleep?"_

_"No, not really. Too much in my mind."_

_Ann caressed his chest._

_"For the first time since we are back from the past, I've had a bad dream."_

_"Will you tell me about it?"_

_"I can't remember much. Only, that I was searching for Althea together with Angie and...a younger man. We were in a cave. I hope, it is only a dream. Before I was following you, I dreamt of a forest and I was in a forest, when I arrived in the past._

_Doug kissed his wife and took her in his arms._

_"I'm sure it is only a dream."_

_For some minutes it was silent in the room, then Ann quietly asked:_

_"You are sure, the explosion and the break-in is related to our research?"_

_"You're not?"_

_She hesitated._

_"Look Doug, you may call me a dreamer, but what if it has more to do with different time-lines and such?"_

_He kissed her lovingly._

_"Talk to me, Ann. Tell me about your theory."_

_Faltering she laid her head back onto his chest._

_"It's a "What if" again, Doug. What if Professor Ballard isn't Professor Ballard, but his ancestor, who came by accident through a break in the time-line to the future. Either he want to go back into his time and can't do this by himself or he want to change the future or the past or whatsoever. To do what ever he wants to do, he need my diary, but Althea sent it to her friend Angie, who gave it to us, hence the break-in."_

_Although she couldn't see it, she felt Doug nodding his head._

_"It's very far fetched, you know, but ..We have already seen too much, as that we can ignore your idea. But what is it with the explosion?"_

_He felt her mouth on his chest, and drew her nearer at himself._

_"For that I don't have a logical explanation."_

_"I wouldn't say your earlier explanation was logical,"_

_Doug sealed her lips with a kiss, when she started to protest._

_"Let me finish! Maybe you're right with your idea, but I have an idea of my own. What if the government is behind this? What if they have a very different deal with Trenton?"_

_"I know, that your trust in the government has waned, but you really think, that they would risk our life's for some unknown reason, Doug?"_

_"I hope not! But I'm asking myself again and again, why the move to Colorado, why this expense, to bring our project to another place."_

_Ann slipped a little higher and nestled her head under his chin._

_"Maybe I have an answer to that question. I have had several tests run by the computer. Mainly on the composition of the rock. The first results I'll probably have tomorrow morning. Ray said that the components in the rock could make the tunnel work effectively. Even if that means that we need to change or omit the shields."_

_Absently stroked Doug through Ann's hair._

_"You could have told me about this."_

_She kissed his cheek._

_"I had it completely forgotten, sorry."_

_When it was silent for a longer time, Doug assumed, that Ann was asleep again, but then she asked him:_

_"Why do you think that the government wants to sabotage Project Tic Toc? After all, they reopened the tunnel and made sure, that Tic Toc will continue."_

_Hesitantly Doug began to talk._

_"Tonight you've said, that I always see the good in people until they prove me wrong. Have I ever told you, that in my very much younger years I gave a year of my life and in addition a lot of money, to help elect a governor, who, in my opinion, was needed for this country, because I thought him honest, trustworthy and genuinely interested in the welfare of the citizens? I did this, because I was sure, he was really like he pretended to be. When the Election was over and he was successful, I felt I had done the right thing. And I got the approval for starting Project Tic Toc. Later I learned, that he was only interested in his own welfare. He was involved in a rather dirty affair, and I knew that I had deceived myself in him. From then on, I was rather suspicious towards the government."_

_While he talked, Ann could imagine how he was young, enthusiastic and convinced of the rightness of his actions._

_"It is fine, that you still can see the good in people. You are a man who cares. It is an important part of you, even if you sometimes doubt yourself. And now I understand, why you are mistrusting the government. But please have in mind, that Clarke and Partridge are friends of us."_

_Doug turned around a bit so he could see Ann's face._

"_Yes, I know, that they are friends, even if it was Clark, who wanted to cancel our project."_

_"He also acted only on behalf of the government. He was and is still fascinated by our idea of time travel. "_

_Doug smiled._

_"Do you still remember the night before C lark's visit?"_

_He heard her chuckling._

_"Of course, as if I could ever forget, that you came to me in the middle of the night and how insecure we both were. But...it was so good to wake up with you, to feel you so close to me."_

_She was silent for a second and then went on:_

_"That was one of the memories that sustained me when you were gone."_

_Phillips drew his wife closer to him and kissed her soundly._

_"I had sworn to myself, I would talk to you, when Clarke was gone again. I've learned from it. If I have something to say, then I do it immediately. You never know if something comes in between."_

_Now she kissed him._

_"We better talk of the future, than of the past. We only have Presumptions. What can we do? If Althea is in danger because of our presence in the past and this diary, I'm responsible for it."_

_"No Ann, not you alone, We will be responsible. And don't get any silly ideas. How to fly, for example, to Carlisle and play the heroine."_

_"Silly ideas, hm?"_

_"No offense meant. I'm only worried."_

_Ann yawned._

_"We will speak with Tony and the others in the morning, okay, Doug.?"_

_He nodded and pulled her onto himself._

_"Are you very tired?"_

_While kissing him tenderly, she answered:_

_"I will be. Later!"_

_*********************************TT*************** *******************_

_Tony Newman woke from a pleasant dream. For the first time since weeks he felt satisfied and happy. The remembrance on the previous night let him smile. He turned in his bed and slowly opened his eyes, only to become aware, that Angie wasn't there anymore. He shrugged his shoulders, maybe she would be in the bathroom or in the kitchen. He got out of bed and pulled on sweatpants and a t-shirt. Angie wasn't in the bathroom nor was she in the kitchen. When he take a closer look, he found on the kitchen counter a message from her. He read it at least three times, then he went to his study and called Doug's phone number._

_Dr. Phillips heard the sound of his cell phone, as he was under the shower. Ann, wearing only a towel, would just go to Doug._

_"Ann, dearest, could you answer the call for me?"_

_After some minutes she was back and joined her husband under the warm stream of water._

_"That was Tony. Angie is gone. He comes to us in half an hour."_

_Doug gave his wife a kiss on the tip of her nose._

_"Half an hour? Then we haven't much time."_

_"For a shower?"_

_Ann blushed violently, as Doug whispered something in her ear._

_Ann was not yet fully dressed, as Tony rang. It was Doug who opened the door._

_"Come in, Ann is also almost done."_

_Newman could hardly resist to grin._

"_Good morning Doug. You look like you did not get much sleep that night. "_

_Only then he noticed the bandage on the wrist._

_"What happened? And don't say, Ann would have bitten you."_

_Doug smiled slyly._

_"Not there! But we had yesterday, after you're gone, an uninvited guest."_

_"Who?"_

_"We don't know," said Ann, who just came through the door._

"_Good morning, Tony!"_

_She gave her colleague a kiss on the cheek and asked him, if he would have breakfast with them. They sat together at the kitchen counter and Tony told his friends of the phone calls and of his discussion with Angie. He showed them Angie's note and then Doug and Ann led Tony into the events from yesterday evening, and Ann told him especially of her theory._

_Tony wasn't as skeptical as Doug and told Ann, that he could imagine accidental time travels. But it would certainly be hard to prove it._

_While Tony and Doug discussed many presumptions, Ann was deep in thoughts. Only as Doug grabbed her hand and asked, what the matter is, she became aware, that it was time for them to drive into the mountains._

_When they were on the way Ann mused aloud:_

_"I couldn't see much of the intruder, but he was slender, of average height and I think it was a young man, because he ran real fast on his escape. So it couldn't possible be that it was Professor Ballard or his ancestor. Like I said, I did not recognize the man, but by his physique and the height he could be Saye Trenton."_

_"Also this is just a guess, Ann, but one that we can track. The Trenton's will come this morning to the tunnel control center. If Saye was the burglar, he should have an injury to his arm."_

_Doug looked straight ahead, but took Ann's hand in his._

_"We will have a keen eye on them all."_

_Ann winked at Tony, as she said:_

_"Oh yes, and I bet, that Marleena will have a keen eye on you, my dear Dr. Phillips. Remember? She will help you with everything you need."_

_Tony laughed loudly and Doug only shook his head._

_"Then, my dear Dr. Ann MacGregor-Phillips, I'm sure you will protect me from her."_

_***************************TT********************* ***********_

_Doug and Ann walked hand in hand to the building, while Tony was ahead of them, some papers in his hand._

_Ann glanced to Doug._

_"Poor Tony, I had thought, that Angie would be good for him."_

_"I think, she was. But he isn't ready for a real relationship, Ann. I do not know, to whom his heart really depends. Sarit or at Althea Hall? Or is it the great-granddaughter Althea's? As long as he isn't sure about what he wants, he will always have only fleeting affairs."_

_He squeezed her hand.._

_"I'm happy, to have you. And...don't worry about Marleena, I only have eyes for you."_

_In the tunnel control center there was a strange atmosphere._

_Ray came rapidly toward Doug and Ann, while Tony sat with Doug's calculations at one of the computer stations._

_"Hello Ray, what's going on?"_

_"Do you know, where Dr. Malcolm is? Or maybe Jerry Briggs?"_

_Ann and Doug exchanged a surprised look._

_"Jerry? Isn't he appeared for duty?"_

_Dr. Swain shook his head._

_"No, he always is punctual and dependable. If he is sick, he would have called. There is something going on, I'm sure of it!"_

_Doug laid his right hand reassuringly at Ray's shoulder._

_"Don't worry, maybe he will come in later, and Angie, we don't know, where she is."_

_"Now we know, Doug!"_

_Tony came to his colleagues._

_"She called Nigel. According to him, Angie took a flight to New York in the wee hours of the morning. She wanted to fly to England, but the flights were fully booked. For some reason she went to Althea's house. She has a key for it. She came in and immediately saw that there had been a burglary. The whole house has been ransacked. Angie will stay there until the police is finished with the investigation."_

_Ann had listened with growing trepidation. She clasps Doug's arm and looked at him._

_"The diary, Doug. They were searching for the diary."_

_Kirk, who had listened, cleared his throat and said._

_"We must talk later about all this. Henry Trenton is here with his nephew and his niece. We have to behave normally. I do not want that the trio noticed what's going on."_

_Doug told the General of the slump yesterday and whom he and Ann had suspected._

_When Trenton's and Nigel's uncle were brought in, the scientists were sitting at their stations and seemed engrossed in the work._

_Doug, Tony and Ann greeted their guests and had a close look at Saye, but he seemed unharmed. _

_Henry Trenton was, as usual, quite profusely, he expressed clearly his pleasure, finally to be able to see the time tunnel. Marleena, very smartly dressed, had a difficult interpretable expression. She looked triumphantly to Ann and Doug, then she whispered something to her uncle._

_Trenton looked a little embarrassed to the ground, but then he walked over to Newman, Kirk, Ann and Doug._

_"We have brought with us someone who has something to tell."_

_They looked with astonishment to Jerry, who stood beside Marleena Trenton, and said:_

_"I came to say goodbye to you all, even if it's not a real goodbye. I get the offer from Marleena Trenton, to work at Trenton Electronics and accepted it!"_

_TBC..._


	8. Chapter 8 Trick or Treat

_**AN: A somewhat longer chapter this time, a little explanations and some new suspicions.**_

_**I hope, it made sense and you enjoy this installment. Reviews, critics and praise ;-) are always welcome**_

_When Jerry had made his announcement, he wasn't sure what he should expect. So he was torn between relief and disappointment. Relief because he had feared the questions of his former colleagues and disappointment because they desisted to question the background of his decision. Had he done the right thing? He had spent the night after the party with Marleena. She was seemingly interested in him and so they spent also the next day together. Marleena was eager to stay with him and persuaded him to take a stroll through town with her. At first he was reluctant, because it happened too fast for his liking, but then he saw Doug Phillips together with Ann when they left the little cafe. He saw as Ann looked up to her husband, when she smiled and put her arms around his waist and they shared a loving kiss. Marleena had observed him closely and asked why he was jealous. So he took her to his apartment and told her of his infatuation and of the disappointment, when he realized, that Ann would never be his. Marleena had laughed and said with a malicious grin, that it would always be possible to teach someone a lesson. He had not responded because he was too busy trying to bury his wishes finally. Only later, when they lay in his bed and Marleena asked many questions about the time when Tony, Doug and Ann were in the past, he thought about her comment. On Sunday morning she offered him a job at 'Trenton Electronics' and left him with the promise, to come back in the evening. But she had called him, apologized and explained that she had something important to do. When he was picked up today morning from Saye Trenton, Jerry was afraid that he might have had something against it, if Jerry would work in his company. But Saye had just repeated the offer of his sister and he seemed relieved when Jerry agreed to it. Marleena was already waiting in the parking lot of the tunnel complex._

_She was a little pale and looked tired. Jerry was worried but she just shook her head as he asked, if he could help her. Ray, who was probably most shocked of Jerry's announcement, came over to him. Jerry was still deep in thought, so that he did not notice at first that Dr. Swain spoke to him._

_"You're okay, Jerry?"_

_Briggs looked surprised at the older scientist._

_"Sorry, Ray, what did you say?"_

_"I have asked, if you're okay."_

_Jerry lowered his head, then he looked in Ray's face._

_"Of course I'm okay."_

_"Hey Jerry, don't take offense. You do not have to explain why you are leaving our project. But I would like to know, if you are going voluntarily."_

_Jerry found it difficult to answer. Then he replied thoughtfully:_

_"It is an opportunity to gain more knowledge, to make new experiences. I think, now that Doug and Tony are back, my part here is done. They will bring the tunnel to full operation mode and maybe I can contribute my share from another source. I hope, you can understand this, Ray."_

_Swain was irritated. Somehow Jerry's explanation seemed wrong to him. But he chided himself a fool. Of course he understood that Jerry was looking for new perspectives._

_"Good luck, and I hope, we will see us often enough."_

_*********************************TT*************** *********************_

_In the meantime, Kirk, Tony and Doug led their visitors through the complex and explained the main features of each station. Ann was deep in conversation with Nigel, who had just phoned his sister Angie, but she always had an eye on Marleena Trenton and Doug. The dark haired woman seemed to be a little lacking in concentration and, as the visitors were on the way to Nigel's work station, she swayed and if not her brother had steadied her, she would have fallen. Nigel explained politely his duties and was relieved, when they left him alone again. Ann winked at him and joined the group, much to Marleenas obvious displeasure. At last, Kirk invited the visitors to his office._

_Henry Trenton was absolutely thrilled. Even if Doug Phillips explained to him, that regularly time travels were utopian, he was imagining how one could use a time machine profitably._

_His relatives were on the contrary more interested how long it would take to bring the tunnel online; and they wanted to know whether it would be possible soon to bring people targeted in a specific time._

_Doug explained again, that their adventures were the outcome of a spontaneous and uncontrolled decision and it would take a long time before they could make targeted and safe time travels._

_Ann, who sat between Tony and Doug, mentioned, that it was their first priority, to bring the tunnel without interferences online. Only then they could focus their attention on the further development._

_Saye Trenton shared a not so secret look with his twin sister and asked Ann, if she at least could form an estimate, how long it would take._

_Before she could give an answer, Marleena barged into the conversation._

_"It would be much better Saye, if you would ask Dr. Phillips. It is his construction as far as I know. Please, Dr. Phillips, tell me your thoughts about this issue."_

_Phillips smiled at Ann and squeezed her hand._

_"Miss Trenton, as Dr. MacGregor-Phillips already said, we are far from the completion of our work. And, even if it's true, that the construction was an idea of mine, the development of project Tic Toc was teamwork."_

_Marleena wasn't silenced._

_"Jerry told me about a radiation shielding, that would be helpful. I know this item, we can order it. And in a few days time, you will be able to test it. As I said at the party, Dr. Phillips, I would do anything for you. Anything, you know!"_

_Before Doug could form an answer, Ann looked straight in Marleenas eyes and said in a very sweet tone, laced with a definite warning: _

_"We appreciate this very much, Miss Trenton, all of us, I mean._

_And if you would be so kind, to order this radiation shield, I will be very happy to fetch it for us. Maybe you could send Jerry with it, because I'm sure that my husband and Dr. Newman will be too busy to take care of such minor things!"_

_Tony coughed and Doug exchanged a glance with a grinning Kirk._

_But Marleena took either Dr. MacGregor-Phillips not serious or she could not imagine that a man could resist her charm._

_Saye took his sisters arm and Ann saw her flinching. Saye shook subtly his head and stood up._

_"We have to thank you, for the time you took, to show us around. It is an impressive building and hopefully you will be successful in the near future. Whatever we can do, to bring your work further forward, we will do it. Without any condition. Come on Marleena, we have a lot of things to accomplish today, and I will show Dr. Briggs around our labs."_

_Trenton and the twins said goodbye, not without Marleena came close to Doug behind Ann's back and whispered to him:_

_"If you fear, that Jerry would be angry if we meet secretly, you're wrong, Dr. Phillips, he would even be very happy, I think. That would give him the opportunity for a secret meeting of his own."_

_Ann, who spoke with Partridge had understood every word._

_With a swift move, she turned around and grabbed Marleena Trenton's hand._

_"Upon a word, Miss Trenton!"_

_"I have nothing to discuss with you."_

_"I, on the contrary, have many things, I would like to say to you. But for now only this: Stay away from my man. Maybe you do not believe, that he is not interested, but should you only venture an attempt to seduce him, you will regret it. These are not empty words, believe me. Made I myself clear?"_

_"Sure enough, but now you listen to me. I'll get him, as I've got Jerry. Then you will get the punishment you deserve."_

_Ann looked confused._

_"What are you talking about? Are you crazy?"_

_As the two women were gone back to Kirk's office, Doug had noticed nothing of the conversation. But Saye, who knew his sister, was on the way to fetch her. When he heard the last words, he went quickly to Marleena._

_"Shut up, what I've told you yesterday? Excuse me, Dr. MacGregor-Phillips. My sister is not feeling well this morning and took a strong painkiller. She is just talking nonsense, believe me."_

_As Saye Trenton came out of the office with Marleena, followed by a still disgruntled Ann, Doug was with a few steps at his wife's side_

_"What happened, Ann?"_

_"Nothing, I just had a serious conversation with Miss Trenton."_

_Saye nodded reassuringly to Doug._

_"All is well, Marleena is a bit beside her today."_

_Except Tony and Jerry nobody had noticed something of this interlude and Ann was thankful for that. She was ashamed that she had reacted badly out of jealousy. But when Doug took her in his embrace and kissed her temple, she knew, that he could guess what had happened. She kissed him back and whispered._

_"Thanks, I don't wanted to create a scene, but this woman is really infuriating."_

_Doug smiled._

_"You should protect me from her, and you did. Come on now, let's go to the canteen. We have a lot to discuss. Partridge remains here and Nigel has news from Angie."_

_********************************TT**************** *************************_

_Nigel observed his colleagues and his Father, the Senator, while they were discussing the events of the last week. All the talking brought no light to the happenings. Sipping his coffee, Nigel waited for a pause in the conversations, to share the news from Angie._

_"I had earlier a longer talk with her," he said and now he had the attention from all._

_"First: Angie will come back today or tomorrow!_

_Second: She had talked to a former colleague of Professor Ballard, who told her some interesting things._

_Third: She got again a phone call from an unknown woman, which begged for help for Althea Waversham._

_When I asked her, to tell me more, she declined, because she suspected that her phone is wiretapped." _

_Senator Partridge looked thoughtfully at his son._

_"Nigel, when I said to you on Sunday, that I don't believe in a conspiracy against Project Tic Toc, I was seemingly wrong. Would you tell me all? Every single thing of interest? I only have limited information, maybe because you don't trust me. Or you don't trust the government. But I swear to you, I will help you with everything I have in my power." _

_"What's with uncle Lionel? Can we trust him too?" asked Nigel Partridge._

_"Of course, you can. He was much sooner involved with Tic Toc, than me."_

_Nigel consecrated his father in everything that had happened so far and Senator Partridge promised that he would ask around if there were any reservations about Project Tic Toc inside the government. And because he was friends with the police chief of Colorado Springs, he would advice him to have a close eye on the Trenton's._

_Everybody had trouble to concentrate on their work. When Doug said, that it would be better, to call it a day, he only got approval. He and Ann invited Tony, Ray, Kirk, Nigel and his father to their house, because they thought it better, to talk in private about some things. _

_********************************TT**************** ********************_

_Ann persuaded Doug to go with her for shopping. It was Halloween and she wanted to be prepared for any "ghosts", which may visit them. On the way into town, Tony told how he had gone as a child on Halloween with his friends and cousins around the neighborhood._

_While Doug also recalled his forays at Halloween, Ann could not join in, because she had never have had this experience._

_Doug told his wife, that he was looking after some scientific magazines and would meet her later at the parking lot. When Ann returned with her purchases, Doug hid something in the rear trunk._

_Ann was curious but Doug only said:_

_"Let's go home, our guests will be with us in three hours, so we still have a little time for ourselves, my darling."_

_Ann had put the candy in a bowl in the hallway and was lying in the bath tub, eyes closed and relaxed for the first time that day, when she felt a touch. Reluctantly she opened her eyes and screamed when she saw a large, hairy spider on her arm. But then she realized Doug, who held the fake Arachnid by a thread._

_"Happy Halloween, my sweetheart!"_

_"Oh Doug, you are insufferable, put this...this thing away!"_

_She jumped up and stood in the tub_

_He laughed, laid the spider on the wash basin and grabbed for a towel._

_"I'm going to keep her, because she brought me an unexpectedly beautiful sight. Come, let me dry you up." _

_Doug took his wife in his arms, told her, to close her eyes and carried her into the bedroom where he gently let her down on her feet again._

_When she opened her eyes, the bed was covered with orange rose petals, between which little bats and spiders from chocolate were distributed. _

_Ann hugged Doug violently._

_"Because you never collected candy at Halloween."_

_She kissed him passionately._

_"You're sweet, Doug. I love you."_

_He held her firmly in his arms, and kissed her back._

"_And I love you, my Ann. You are the most important thing in my life. Even if we are in the middle of one unresolved mystery, even if we are in danger, together we will overcome every trouble."_

_Ann kissed him again and whispered:_

_"Yes, we will."_

_****************************TT******************** **************_

_Tony was the first to arrive, he had stopped at the Chinese Restaurant and ordered Food to go. Ann set the table, while Doug lit the fireplace. The doorbell rang again, but this time it was a group of kids, dressed up as zombies and ghosts, Ann gave them some sweets and they went laughing to the neighboring house. Finally Kirk and Ray joined the trio. Tony and Kirk went to the living room, where Doug gave each a beer. Ray observed Ann, who again had ghosts, witches and other scary figures at the front door. He saw her smiling face and the light in her eyes. When she turned around and met his glance, he took her hand in his._

_"I'm glad to see you and Doug being so happy, Ann. You both deserve it."_

_Ann hugged Ray._

_"Thanks, Ray. Come on, let's join the others."_

_When the bell rang again, were Senator Partridge, Nigel and surprisingly, Angie Malcolm at the door._

_"Angie, you are back! Come on in, the others are already there. I'll be right with you, just a moment, please."_

_Ann grinned as three tiny witches were threatening to enchant her, if she gave them no sweets. She winked at the mothers, who were with the children and gave each of the kids something in their bags. Lost in thought, she looked at the girls who went to the house to the left of theirs. She was not sure why she suddenly thought about that Henry Trenton and his wife lived only two streets further away._

_Angie hugged Ann, as she came back into the living room and pointed to the arrangement, which stood in the dining area. There were orange roses in an oval basket, which were arranged along with pumpkins, sunflowers and wintergreen. Inserted between the flowers were ghosts, bats and witches._

_"Have you made this, Ann?" Angie asked._

_"No, it is a present from Doug. It came along with this!"_

_Ann MacGregor- Phillips showed her a bracelet that matched her necklace. _

_"May I look at that again?" asked Dr. Malcolm._

_Ann handed her the bracelet and observed her friend, who thoughtfully looked at the jewelery. When Ann put the bracelet back onto her wrist, Angie said:_

_"Nigel has told you, that someone broke into Althea's house?"_

_Ann nodded and led Angie to the dining table, where Doug and the others were waiting._

_Angie Malcolm came directly from the airport. She had made her statement to the New York police and took a flight right back to Colorado, because Althea's house was sealed. _

_When Ann asked her, why she was so interested in the bracelet, Angie told her friends, that she had seen a drawing of a similar bracelet in one of Althea's historical books._

_Later all of them sat in the living room and discussed the situation. Only now Angie was made aware, that Jerry had left suddenly the Project._

_"Why did he do this?"_

_"I haven't asked him, said Ann._

_"I wanted to, but then I had a...let's say a quarrel with Marleena Trenton. And then he walked away with the Trenton twins, so that I hadn't the chance for a talk. I think, it is Marleenas doing! She acted very strange today. I had a shiver running down my spine when she said, I would get my fair punishment. I haven't a clue, what she meant."_

_Ray repeated his conversation with Jerry and added:_

_"Maybe it is better for him. A new start, with a lot of opportunities for him. Maybe the chance of a real relationship."_

_Ann and Angie snorted at the same time._

_"As if! Marleena Trenton is a vile woman, Ray. I can feel it literally in my little finger, that she only will use Jerry for her dark plans, or whatsoever."_

_Angie Malcolm was visibly upset._

_Ann secretly agreed with the young woman, but she said aloud:_

_"Have you noticed that Marleena Trenton did not look particularly healthy this morning? And when her brother took her arm to steady her, she flinched. And it was weird, when he whispered to her, that she should heed, what he had told her the evening before."_

_"What's your point, Ann?" asked Doug curious._

_She bit her lip._

_"I have observed her, no please don't say that I'm merely jealous. I must nonetheless admit, that I'm jealous, but I will try to be impartial. What I wanted to say, is: Marleena is nearly as tall and just as slender as her brother. On me she made the impression, that she is also sportive. We watched Saye for any signs of discomfort, because Doug and me believed that he was the burglar. What if it wasn't Saye, but his sister? According to Saye she had taken strong painkillers. In addition, Mrs. Trenton is a doctor. She could have handled Marleenas injury and given her the analgesics."_

_Tony nodded._

_"Sounds very logical to me."_

_"Yes, but we need proof for our suspicion," considered Doug._

_Ann had thought of something._

_"Doug, the police searched the garden for foot prints?"_

_"I'm not sure, but I can ask early tomorrow."_

_The Senator, who had been silent, interjected:_

_"I can do that when I met Charles Dougerthy, the Police Chief, for breakfast. Of course only, if you agree.!"_

_Doug nodded again and turned to Ann._

_"Why do you ask?"_

_Ann reached for her wine glass and looked thoughtfully at her friends._

_"Earlier there were three little witches with their mothers at the door. When they went away, they used the path between the garages as an abbreviation. And after a few seconds I couldn't see them anymore. And then it came to me, that only two streets around the corner is the house of Henry Trenton and his family. I mean, when both twins are involved into this occurrences, it would be easy for them to reach our garden. Or they can split up and one goes to Tony or Angie, and the other comes to our garden. Doug had poured out the footprints of the first nocturnal visit with plaster. If the Police found foot prints, they can compare the prints with each other. Whether the footprints belong to Saye or Marleena, would be easy to determine, or not?"_

_There was general support for Ann's statement._

_After a moment of silence, Nigel quietly said:_

_"Only thing missing is the reason for all these events. Have you already thought about this?"_

_Tony, Ann and Doug shared a look. But it was Ann who spoke up._

_"I pondered about it the whole afternoon," from the corner of her eye she saw Doug's grin and added with a twinkle in her eyes:_

_"I mean, the whole afternoon at work. I think there is more than one possible explanation. The most logical to me is, that we have created a paradox in the past and opened a way to another dimension, another time line or a parallel existence. Or maybe we aren't the reason for all this, but simply a means to an end for someone who wants to achieve a goal. Professor Ballard for example. Althea has said little about his work. Just that he is searching for evidence, that his ancestors were living in Carlisle and Galashiels. Althea took the diary, my necklace and the photos, right?_

_What if Ballard has noticed it just now, and is trying to get to the diary? What if he put Althea under pressure and is also responsible for the accident?_

_And I've thought about another explanation. Please Nigel, don't be offended, but you were the one, who sacrificed the most. While even your uncle could go into the future, you stayed back and were working towards a goal that seemed utopian. You sacrificed your personal life for it. Also you could have a reason to harm us. But I do not think so, I'm just saying that it could be. Please believe me."_

_Nigel shook his head._

_"You have a lot of imagination, Ann."_

_Partridge looked at his son and smiled._

_"You really have, Dr. MacGregor-Phillips, but I don't take this personally, we're finally searching for plausible reasons."_

_Nigel stood up and went to his colleague. He put a hand on her shoulder._

_"Ann, I have sacrificed nothing, I have continued my life, unlike Kirk, Ray, Jerry and the others. And even if they have won 20 years, I have found my wife, Maggie, so I haven't sacrificed my personal life. I'm not offended or angry. Together we will find out what's going on. I think my Father is of the same mind._

_Partridge nodded._

_"You all can count on my help. After all, I would like some day to have the pleasure to travel through time. Angie, maybe you can give me some answers?"_

_Dr. Malcolm stood at the window and looked into the darkness. As Senator Partridge talked to her, she turned around and took a seat besides Ann._

_"Ask me, I hope, I can contribute some wisdom."_

_"Nigel told me, that you had talked to a former colleague of Ballard."_

_"Oh yes, it was an interesting conversation. Ballard is vanished nearly a year ago. At this time, Althea was with me in Arizona, at the old Tic Toc Complex. She waited for news of her mentor, who had employed her for the excavations, but then, even before they had reviewed the first findings, went back to New York. He phoned her for a few times and told her, that he would retire for a couple of weeks maybe months. Before I flew to New York, I was on the phone with a former colleague of Ballard. He picked me up from the airport and drove me to Angie's house. On the way there he told me that he had Ballard last seen in November last year. He had behaved strangely and talked even more remarkable. Miller, the Professor I met, said that Ballard did not recognize him. And he apparently did not knew, that Althea was his assistant. Then Ballard has probably fetched his things, that were still at the university and left. However at some point Althea had heard more of him. She called Miller, because she was worried. Ballard seemingly had lost his memories. Obviously he had called Althea, because her phone number was saved on his cell phone. Althea told Miller, that Ballard had asked her about their finds. But then she heard nothing from him until the end of January, when he ordered her to come to Carlisle._

_Miller got a letter from Althea a few weeks ago. She wrote, that she had have an accident in a cave and was still at a hospital in Galashiels. She could not remember what had happened, but she wrote that Ballard would come to New York, to pick up a few important books from her home. Angie had left a spare key in the University Office and Miller should hand them over to Ballard. She wrote also the names of the books, one of them was the book in which I saw a drawing of this bracelet, that Ann is wearing._

_When Miller and I discovered, that there was a burglary at Althea's house, we called the police, but we took the three books, which Ballard wanted, with us. But if it was Ballard, who broke into Althea's house, it makes no sense, because the books he wanted, were still there._

_Miller, however, did not know more than that and asked me to keep him up to date."_

_Senator Partridge shook his head:_

_"But Ballard told us, he would go back to England today. And he said that Althea is too busy, to maintain contact with us. What does the New York Police say? Is Ballard a suspect?"_

_Angie shook her head._

_"No, Ballard was seen in New York on Friday and flew with British Airways on Saturday back to Carlisle."_

_Doug stood up and paced forth and back._

_"Angie do you know, when the break-in happened?"_

_"No, Doug."_

_"When the Trenton twins have their fingers in the game, one of them must have been in New York. On Friday was the party, there were both in attendance. On Saturday Marleena was with Jerry. Remains the Sunday._

_Partridge nodded._

_"I will tell Dougerthy to check the flight schedule from Sunday. But keep in mind, Dr. Phillips that the slump could have happened a long time ago."_

_"No, Senator," Tony chimed in._

_"The books, Ballard wanted, were still there. The burglar must have been looking for something different."_

_"The diary!" exclaimed Ann and added:_

"_And I got the diary on Saturday. Could Ballard knew this?"_

_"I agree with you," said Senator Partridge and stood up._

_"My friends, it was a long day. Now I will say good night; and tomorrow we'll get the ball rolling."_

_Nigel went on with his father, after he had Ann assured that he was not angry with her._

_Angie, Kirk, Ray and Tony stayed a little bit longer and Angie promised to bring that book with drawings of historical jewelry, tomorrow to work._

_******************************TT****************** *********************_

_On their way home, Nigel asked his father, if he was hiding something from him._

_"Why do you think so?"_

_"Dad, I know you well enough."_

_"I'm hiding nothing, Nigel. But...the government, at least the part that is responsible for Science and Research, has closed a contract with Henry Trenton, as you know. His new enterprise isn't only the provider for Tic Toc, but also for the space agency. I think it is unwise to suspect his relatives of a crime. By the way, Nigel. Don't you think your colleagues are exaggerating?"_

_Nigel sighed, his father was sometimes very simple minded. What he don't want to see, simply did not exist for him._

_"No, Dad, they have not exaggerated. There was a break-in into the house of the Phillips. And Marleena Trenton behaved weird, not only at the party but today in Tic Toc main central too."_

_"But this talk about parallel time lines and so forth is nonsense, or not?"_

_"Even if it as a foreign idea to you, there is a possibility, that parallel universes or parallel time lines exists."_

_"Would be better for us, if this was the cause of all that happened."_

_"Does that mean, you wouldn't talk to the Police Chief?"_

_"Of course I will talk with Dougerthy. But I see no need to tell him about the suspicions of your colleagues. I will ask him about the footprints and if they have already a trace."_

_"You promised them, to help us. What's about that?"_

_"I will talk to your uncle. Lionel was always the more sophisticated and more diplomatic from us two. If you really need help, go to him."_

_********************************TT**************** **************_

_Doug and Ann said goodbye to their guests and while Doug took a walkabout around the house, Ann was going back to the warmth of the living- room. After much consideration, they all came to the conclusion that they should leave the investigation of the burglary to the police. Starting tomorrow, they would carry out their routine work and rely on the Senator who could take care of Althea's whereabouts._

_Ann had cleaned up the kitchen, came back and wondered about the fact that the patio door was open. Doug probably came in through the garden. She hesitated and stepped out on the terrace._

_"Doug? Are you here?"_

_Phillips switched the alarm system on and went back to the living room. What he saw made his blood freeze. A dark clad figure stood at the table, Ann's diary in hand, while Ann lay on the carpet with a bleeding wound at her forehead. With a quick step Doug was at the intruder, who let drop the diary and threw something into the room. A foul-smelling smoke was spreading and prevented Doug from following the fugitive._

_TBC..._


	9. Chapter 9: A sleepless night and a busy

_**AN.: I was really fast with this update ;-)! This chapter brings a sleepless night, a success for the tunnel team and more mysteries. Read and enjoy!**_

_**Chapter 9: A sleepless night and a busy day**_

_In the emergency room at St. Francis Hospital Ann MacGregor was lying on the examination table. The laceration on her forehead was stitched and the doctor assured her that she would retain no scar._

_Doug was holding her hand and helped her back onto her feet._

_The physician had declared, that she don't suffered a concussion and gave her some painkillers. But Doug was nonetheless worried, because Ann was white as a ghost. As he told her so, she joked, that it was fitting, because it's Halloween. She felt ill, but she did not tell Doug. Before Doug had carried Ann to the hospital he had called the police. One of the police officers had interviewed both of them and said, that they would need to come tomorrow to the police station._

_**************************TT********************** ***************_

_Jerry looked at the clock for the umpteenth time. It was exactly five minutes later than the last look. He could not sleep. What had he been thinking? He behaved like a hormone-ridden teenager. He should have considered the night with Marleena as one-night-stand. Instead, he thought himself again madly in love. The way, Marleena Trenton had behaved this morning, made it clear that she regarded him only as a pastime. What does she want from Doug Phillips? First, he had found the idea quite to his liking. If Phillips gave in to Marleenas seduction, he, Jerry, would have the chance to comfort Ann._

_And yet, something drew him to Marleena. She had come with him to his apartment, after his first day at Trenton Electronics. As Jerry took Marleena in his arms, she winced at his touch. _

_When he asked her, if she was in pain, she told him, that she had scalded her left arm with boiling water. He wanted her to stay with him overnight, but Marleena just meant that she had something to discuss with her brother. She would meet Jerry in the morning at work._

_Briggs leaned back into his pillow. Except Ray none had spoken to him, no one asked him why he went away. Not even Ann MacGregor had come to him. Were they all glad to be rid of him? Even Angie Malcolm? It just occurred to him, that Angie was often seen with Tony Newman in recent times. After another failed attempt to sleep, Jerry stood up and walked into his kitchen. He prepared himself a hot cocoa and sat down at the counter at the window and looked down at the empty street. From the corner of his eye he saw something purple colored hanging on the doorknob. He went to it, but before he could grasp it, his cell phone rang._

_******************************TT****************** *******************_

_Saye Trenton looked down at his sister, who lay on her bed._

_"How could you be so stupid, to forgot your bag at Jerry's apartment? What if he find out, who we are?"_

_Gritting her teeth, because a new wave of pain washed over her, Marleena replied:_

_"There is nothing telling in the bag, just the painkillers, my wallet, a notebook and my make-up. He will not sniff, but bring me the bag tomorrow morning."_

_"Absolutely sure?"_

"_Of course, Saye! He's eating out of my hand. But I think, I will need the painkillers tonight."_

_Saye nodded._

_"You look like shit."_

_"Thank you, Brother. Behave yourself in a more gentlemanly manner, as I'm used too. Only because we are here, don't means, that we must behave like this common people."_

_"Oh, this common people! Only Dr. Phillips isn't among the hoi polloi in your opinion?"_

_"Are you jealous?"_

_"How could I, I'm your brother!"_

_Marleena grimaced._

_"It's only a matter of time when we can give up this role. Then I will compensate you in any way."_

_Saye grasped for his cell phone:_

_"I call Briggs and tell him he should bring your pain pills. I can not take that again from the medicine cabinet of Emmy Trenton. She already noticed the missing bandages. And I can't drive to Briggs right now. I must take a shower and then I have to get rid of this clothes."_

_"If I'm fit again, then I try again to get the diary. And if I have to seduce Phillips for it in his own bedroom, I need the diary." Marleena clenched her fists._

_"And if I have to kill this...this...bitch, I will do it gladly!"_

_Saye lifted his brows._

_"Oh how ladylike! What's that again, we shouldn't talk like common people?"_

_"You had it in hand, Saye. Why, to the devil, did you leave it behind."_

_"Because it is not, what you need. It's a normal diary, with entry's about their life and their love. They were turtledoves in Galashiels as they are here."_

_"That's disgusting, she is only an insignificant witch of questionable birth."_

_"You forgot something, Marleena. This woman isn't the woman that you have in mind."_

_"But nonetheless she and her...her knight in shining armor are responsible for all that we had to endure."_

_Saye shook his head._

_"Don't act like you are used to do. We are the relatives of Henry Trenton. We're scientists like Dr. Newman, Dr. Phillips, his wife and all the others. If we want to beat the old simpleton in this mission, we need to play our roles."_

_********************************TT**************** *******************_

_Ann writhed in pain. The spasms had not abated, despite the pain medication she had taken in the hospital. Quietly, so as not to arouse Doug she went to the kitchen. She drank a glass of water and laid her diary on the counter. She read a little, waiting that the cramps would subside. If it would be not better in the morning, she surely had to go to see a Doctor. When she heard the creaking of the stair, she looked up. Doug came through the open door._

_"Ann, can't you sleep?"_

_"No, I couldn't. But now I'm cold and should go back to bed."_

_"You're really okay? You are still pale."_

_"I was in pain, but now it is much better."_

_She grabbed the diary and took it into the bedroom with her._

_Doug enfolded her in his arms._

_"I will keep you warm, my sweetheart."_

_"Mmmh. Doug, I've been thinking about why the intruder has left the diary here. If he or she looked for it, it makes no sense."_

_Doug caressed her arm and kissed her shoulder._

_"I was thinking the same. Maybe they realized, that it isn't the diary, they need!"_

_"But what they might be looking for then?"_

_Doug was silent for a couple of minutes._

_"I really don't know. The only thing that comes to my mind are the journals of Mairead, of whom you told me."_

_"It gets more mysterious. Who would have an interest in the writings of Mairead? "_

_"I don't know, Ann. Have you read them all?"_

_She snuggled against him, her head on his chest._

_"No, not all of them. Only them with the recipes for salves and potions, especially the one with Maireads experiences with difficult births. In the others I only threw a glance. There are incantations, descriptions of the "old religion". Spells, if you will. What does someone do with that?"_

_"It was only a thought of mine. Come closer, maybe we can sleep a little more."_

_Kissing each other, they lay in the darkness until finally sleep captured them._

_**************************TT********************** ************_

_Angie also was wide awake. She listened to the quietly breaths of Tony, who lay beside her, one arm over her stomach, and his head snuggled against her breast. _

_Under other circumstances, Tony would have been the right man for her. He was sincere, loving and passionate. But he was also branded from the losses in his childhood and therefore often distrusting, reticent and withdrawn. She knew this type of man. She wasn't what he needs. But for the moment, it was nice to have somebody at her side, who needs love and comfort as much as she needs it. She and Tony had talked about his and her feelings and he was of the same opinion as she. Then they had made love, like it would be for the last time. She was exhausted but nonetheless couldn't find sleep._

_Maybe it were the thoughts, she had have the whole day, since she was at Althea's house. Instinctively she knew, that Althea's disappearance must have something to do with project Tic Toc, with the homecoming of their friends. On her flight back from New York, Angie had planned to have a talk with Jerry. But now, that he had left the fellowship, that had formed from the day on, she and Althea were invited into the "weird gang", she foresaw from a conversation. She had the feeling, that she couldn't trust Jerry anymore. Her only hope was, that he wouldn't do something foolish in regards to his feelings for Ann. Deep down in her heart, Angie still loved Jerry, but she was sensible enough, to bury her feelings for him. _

_In the morning she would explain her plan to Tony. If he was willing to accompany her, she would be happy, but if not, she would act on her own._

_*********************************TT*************** ****************_

_After the phone call from Saye Trenton, Jerry was soon on his way to the Trenton Villa. Saye was waiting for him, in a bathrobe and with wet hair._

_"Sorry, I was under the shower."_

_"What is it with Marleena?"_

_Saye led Jerry to Marleena's rooms._

_"She isn't feeling well, the wound at her arm is very painful. I've cleaned it and covered it with a new bandage, but she need her pills. Maybe you can stay with her the rest of the night, Jerry?"_

_"Of course, you need not to worry."_

_"Thanks Jerry and good night!"_

_With narrowed eyes he looked after Jerry._

_Jerry knocked at Marleenas door and went in. The young woman lay on her bed with closed eyes, writhing in pain._

_"Marleena! Come, here are the painkillers."_

_Jerry fetched a glass, filled it with water and aided her to take the medicine. As he touched her face, he noticed that it felt hot._

_"You're feverish, Marly. You need a Doctor!"_

_She coughed._

_"No, nonsense. I only need the pills, I'm better in a couple of minutes, you will see."_

_When she opened her eyes and saw the worried glance of the older man, she gave him a forced smile._

_"Hey, don't look so fearful. I'm strong. Come, lie with me."_

_Jerry hesitated, but thought about the promise he had made earlier to himself, slipped beside her and took her into his arms._

_*********************************TT*************** *********************_

_Ann awoke with a severe headache and freed herself carefully from Doug's embrace. She took the box with the painkiller into the bathroom and swallowed one of the pills. A look in the mirror showed her how pale she was. Removing the band-aid, she took a closer look at the stitched wound. It looked a little red at the edges but otherwise fine. Carefully she washed her face and covered the suture with a new band-aid. She considered to get dressed, but a sudden wave of dizziness prompted her to get back to bed. She crawled under the covers and snuggled against her husband. Doug was still sleeping and she watched him affectionately. She had never thought about, how it would be to live with him. Back in old Tic Toc times, they were nearly as close together as they were now, but nonetheless it wasn't the same. Now it was much better. It felt so good to wake in his arms, being together most of the time and the feeling of security when Doug was with her. Not to mention their lovemaking. She had never seen herself as a passionate woman and had never thought that Doug was just as passionate. She kissed him and he awoke instantly._

_"Mmh, nice way to start the day. Good morning, my dearest. How are you feeling?"_

_With another kiss, Ann embraced her husband._

_"Good morning, my Handsome!"_

_Doug smiled._

_"Do you want something special from me?"_

_"Like always, when we are so close."_

_He pulled her only closer to him._

_"You're sure, you're feeling well enough?"_

_"A little headache, but..."_

_He understood without words and kissed her with abandon._

_****************************TT******************** *********_

_They arrived at the police office a bit later as planned, where they met Senator Partridge in conversation with Charles Dougerthy, the police chief. Dougerthy was a no nonsense type of man and listened carefully to Ann's and Doug's statements. He promised them to work quickly and apologized for the lack of patrols on the last evening._

_It was already mid-morning when the two appeared in the tunnel control center. _

_Tony sat at his control panel and seemed to be far away with his thoughts._

_"Hey Tony!"_

_"Oh Doug, good that you are here. We can make a test, if you want. Trenton Electronics has called, and Jerry will bring the device for the shielding."_

_"Did you hear that, Ann?" Doug called his wife._

_"Angie told me just now. I will be ready with the preparations in about two hours, good enough?"_

_"Perfect, darling. Let's start!"_

_Tony grinned at his friend._

_"I always thought, when the first months of marriage were over, you would be back to your normal, reticent self. But with the two of you it is getting worse every day."_

_"Are you jealous, Tony?" _

_"Only sometimes. Otherwise it is fun to watch you!"_

_Tony became earnest again._

_"We need to talk, Doug."_

_Phillips looked confused._

_"About Ann and me?"_

_Tony rolled his eyes._

_"No, of course not. Angie and I had a talk at breakfast. If her guess is right, we could have a problem. But first let us make the test."_

_When Ann came over and handed Doug and Tony each a connection diagram, Tony became aware of the patch at her forehead._

_"What happened, Ann?"_

_Dr. MacGregor-Phillips looked at her husband._

_"Didn't you tell him?"_

_When Doug shook his head, she said._

_"It was a nightmare at All Hallows' Eve, so to speak." _

_And she told Tony about the assault._

_When Jerry brought the device, he burst in the middle of feverish activity. He waved Angie and she came over to him and took the box from his hands._

_"Angie, I have something very important to tell you. Can you get away for a minute or two?"_

_"Are you crazy, Jerry? Have a look at this chaos here."_

_Briggs took her hand._

_"I wouldn't ask, if it wasn't really important. Please, listen to me."_

_Angie hesitated._

_"Okay, I will only bring the device to Doug and Tony."_

_When Dr. Malcolm came back after nearly 20 minutes, her facial expression showed the confusion she felt. But there was no time to contemplate over what Jerry has told her. Ann gave her a sign and she went to her colleague._

_"Where have you been, Angie? We are nearly ready. I need you at the controls for the energy supply. The computer is programed for automatic control. But we can anytime switch to manual control. Therefore I need you, because Dr. Swain will take over the second transfer panel."_

_"Okay, Ann. do you think, we can make it?"_

_"Yes, I'm very optimistic."_

_Tony came out of the tunnel spirals and went over to Ann._

_"So far we are ready: Doug needs to program the new radiation bath, but that takes only a couple of minutes. The most important thing is, that we bring the tunnel online. The radiation signature bath comes second."_

_Doug stepped from the processor platform and came over._

_"I'm ready. Tony, you stay at the controls for the main system. _

_Ann and Ray, you will begin the gradual increase of voltage on my command."_

_Ann nodded: _

_"Angie is at the controls for the energy supply, Doug!"_

_"Good! Ann, you also have to keep an eye on the readouts of the shielding."_

_"Understood!"_

_Phillips nodded to Kirk and turned around._

_"All Stations ready?"_

_After he had got positive confirmations of all involved, Doug sat himself at the main control and started the countdown._

_All Systems were ready and when Doug gave Ann and Ray the command, they started the energy input. At first nothing happened, but then they heard a crackling sound and when suddenly the familiar bluish light and the fog were visible in the tunnel, the whole team was full of elation._

_Doug was with one movement out of his chair and at Ann's panel._

_He pulled her from her swivel chair, into his arms and kissed her soundly._

_"We made it! We are back to our business!"_

_Tony, who was standing beside his friends, embraced all at once and then took Angie in his arms._

_Ann was beaming and ruffled Doug's Hair._

_"What about if we make a test, to prove the tunnel isn't only online, but works properly. We could send a test object into the time vortex!"_

_"Good idea, we make it so."_

_But unlike as in former times, they had no test animals at hand. So they decided, to send a wooden box._

_Ann was skeptical._

_"Do you believe, the radiation-signature will be working on an inanimate object?"_

_Tony and Doug nodded simultaneously._

_"Not as good, as on an animal, but hopefully good enough."_

_They didn't need much more preparations and half an hour after the tunnel was online again, they could begin._

_The tension was almost physically palpable._

_Doug had taken control of the transfer panel, with Ann by his side, while Ray sat at the second console. Tony stood at the measuring station and watched the readings._

_The sound of the electric discharges and the obscuration through the bluish fume told them, that the transfer mechanism functioned and when the sight was clear again, the box was vanished. The newly designed controls worked to everyone's satisfaction and when Ann turned on the screen, he latched on immediately and showed a picture. They had chosen the city of Xuzhou in China in the year 1920. Ray and Ann had programmed the coordinates of a park and the screen showed that the small wooden box had landed in a meadow. _

_A certain euphoria spread through the main control center. But now they would try to bring the object back. _

_The signal was weak but yet so clear that Ann was able to capture the box and as Doug initiated the return transfer, the image disappeared from the view screen. But the wooden box did not appear in the time tunnel. For a moment the swirling colors of the time vortex were visible, but they soon disappeared. At least they had proven that the tunnel was working again and even an inanimate object could be located. Even if they had not brought back the box, was only the fact, that they had removed the object from the selected period, a success. For the first time in weeks, the Tic Toc team with all their co-workers were relaxed and happy._

_Tony and Ray made the proposal to celebrate this first success with an impromptu party in the restaurant. But Doug only shook his head._

_"We can celebrate a little bit here, but after all that has happened in the last days, we should not shout from the rooftops, that the tunnel is working again:"_

_So tjey informed their co-workers, that it should remain a secret, that they had made progress._

_Angie went over to Ann, who stood with her arm around Doug's waist and his arm around her shoulder, and explained something to Tony._

_"May I interrupt you? I thought, we could buy some bottles of champagne in the restaurant."_

_"Good idea," said Ann._

_"I will accompany you."_

_They stood at the counter of the restaurant and ordered champagne, when Angie quietly asked:_

_"Do we have time for a cup of coffee?"_

_Ann gave her an astonished look._

_"Of course, but we can also drink our coffee over there in our main control center."_

_"Yes, but there it's much too turbulent."_

_While the young man behind the counter put the bottles into a cardboard, Ann and Angie stood in front of the restaurant with a cup of coffee in hand._

_"Do you know, that Jerry was here with the device for the shields?"_

_"Yes, Tony told me, and he told me also, that we should talk about something."_

_Ann swayed and Angie took her by her elbow._

_"Ann, are you okay?"_

_"Don't worry, Angie, I'm okay, only a little dizzy. This comes from my head wound. And please, don't tell Doug. He anyway is worried beyond reason."_

_"He loves you."_

_"I know Angie and I'm really happy about it."_

_She took a sip from her coffee and continued:_

_"What was with Jerry?"_

_Angie hesitated._

_"He asked me for a meeting because he had to tell something important. And he gave me this!"_

_Angie opened her right hand and Ann looked at a locket adorned with a coat of arms._

_"Jerry did not want, that I already inform you, but in view of the attack yesterday, you have to know it."_

_Ann shook her head._

_"It looks familiar, but I don't know, where I have seen this before."_

_Angie fetched a book from her bag and opened it._

_"Have a look, Ann!"_

_The pictures showed a couple of jewelery. And one of them was the locket. The description said, that it was an heirloom from the duchy of Carlisle and the last owner was Lady Maralynn, an illegitimate daughter of Geoffrey, Duke of Carlisle. It was found at an excavation in 1950 but get lost by a fire in the museum of Carlisle a couple of years later._

_"How come Jerry to the locket?"_

_"He found it in a bag of Marleena Trenton, together with a seemingly very old letter."_

_Ann rubbed her chin._

_"I knew, that something is wrong with that woman. Come, let's talk with the Boys."_

_"There is more, Ann. Jerry made a copy of this letter and gave it to me."_

_She searched in her pocket for the copy and showed it to Ann, who inhaled sharply.._

_"I know this handwriting, it's Mairead's!"_

_"I thought so! I fear, something here is completely wrong. Jerry will contact me and I will meet him. Tony will watch over me, because I don't know, if we can trust Jerry."_

_Ann nodded. _

_"Let's inform Doug, and then we need a secret place to talk."_

_TBC..._


	10. Chapter 10: A grimoire and an unexpected

_**AN.: I'm a bit late with my post, because my PC was down. But luck was with me and my data could be restored.**_

_**So now on with the story. Read and enjoy!**_

_Only the night shift was still in the main control room, while Tony, Doug, Ann, Ray, Kirk and Angie were sitting in General Kirk's Office._

_Angie came back from her meeting with Jerry a few minutes ago. _

_She took a sip from the coffee cup, which Ann gave to her._

_"Sorry, I'm late, but Jerry told me much more, than I expected."_

_"Can we trust him?" asked Doug._

_Angie shrugged her shoulders._

_"I'm not really impartial, but I think, he is still trustworthy, even if he works now for Trenton Electronics. And what he had told me, is very interesting. He said, that Saye called him in the middle of the night, to bring Marleenas bag, which she has left accidentally in his kitchen. Obviously she needs the painkillers, that were in the bag. She told Jerry that she suffered from a scalding. The wound is at her left upper arm. He hadn't seen it, but he did not rule out that it could also be a gunshot wound."_

_Tony furrowed his brow_

_"And what did he say about the locket? And the letter?"_

_Ann interjected:_

_"It isn't a letter. It's a page of one of Maireads journals. I have them with me, as well as the diary."_

_Angie was very curious._

_"And have you found out, where the page is missing?"_

_"I have, actually! It's from a 'book of shadows', a kind of grimoire. Mairead was well versed in the old religion, in rituals and healing powers. But she never taught this knowledge to me. Sometimes in the two years I lived with her in the cottage, she vanished for a couple of days. She never told me where she had been nor what she did in this time. She hid this grimoire in another journal and it seems, that the page, Jerry had found, isn't the only one missing. And because I had this books always in my bag pack, I think, that the missing pages were torn from the journal a very long time ago. Maybe, before I got them."_

_"And the locket, do you know anything about it, Ann?"_

_Dr. MacGregor-Phillips shook her head._

_"No. I vaguely remember having seen it somewhere, but I don't know where it was."_

_Doug and Tony shared a look._

_"Do you think there is a connection between these things and that, what has happened?"_

_"To tell the truth, I do not at all know what to think or to say."_

_Ann shrugged her shoulders again._

_"We must try to think not only logical, not only in the way of science, but more...more like Mairead would have done. The only thing I'm sure of, is, that there are people, who want either my diary or Maireads writings or maybe both! And I will carry them with me, wherever I go."_

_Doug looked at his wife._

_"It could be dangerous for you, Ann."_

_"I know, but I also know, that you will protect me."_

_"Of that you can be sure."_

_Tony wasn't satisfied._

"_But how Althea fit in all this? Where is the connection to Ballard or his ancestor? Is she involved only because she works with Ballard?"_

_No one had an answer for him and Ray, who was very silent most of the time, said:_

_"The real question is: What can we do? Shall we press charges against the Trenton's?"_

_Doug gave a humorless laugh._

_"Oh, that would go down well. -By the way, Chief Dougherty, the Trenton Twins and Professor Ballard are from another time line, they are responsible for all the mischief that happened lately.- No, we cannot notify the police of that. They keep us anyway for a little crazy. We need proof, we need more information."_

_Angie nodded. _

_"This is the moment when Jerry comes into play. He swore to me, that he will have an eye on both, Saye and Marleena. And he will talk to Henry Trenton, of course unobtrusively."_

_Kirk, Ray, Ann, Doug and Tony smiled and Kirk said:_

_"Unobtrusively? Jerry? In Jerry's face anyone can read like in a book."_

_Angie shrugged her shoulders._

_"If you think so. But have you looked at him lately? I mean, really looked at him? He is matured, his unhealthy obsession with Ann notwithstanding. And the last few days must have opened his eyes. I will trust him; and he is the only one, who will have the chance to come really close to Saye and Marleena."_

_Angie's cell phone rang, she got up and walked a few steps away._

_The others discussed the way forward, when Dr. Malcolm came back._

_"It was Nigel. He had have a talk with his uncle, the Governor. Lionel Partridge will fly to England, officially to make a courtesy visit at the embassy and he will ask for a favor. As he is very interested in archaeological excavations and had heard that his very good old friend Professor Geoffrey Ballard is in Carlisle, in search of signs of his own ancestors, so his fondest wish is, to meet his compatriot." _

_Angie was silent for some seconds and added at last:_

_" I'm not so very important for the restart of our project. So I have thought, I will accompany Partridge. No, please Doug! I know, you keep every one of us essential for Tic Toc. But I'm exchangeable. On the other hand, I knew Ballard, if not very well, so at least a little. and I'm the best friend of Althea Waversham. She needs help, I'm sure of it. And I will try to help her!"_

_Ann went to the physicist._

_"Maybe I should go with you. I have Mairead's journals and I know the area."_

_"That is out of question, Ann. I won't let you go."_

_Doug was with three steps at her side._

_"We need you here. As much as I want to help Althea, we must think of our project. Maybe we will need the tunnel earlier than expected."_

_Ann laid her hand on Dougs shoulder._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Let us think about it for a moment. If you are right, Ann, with your theory, and Ballard and maybe the Trenton Twins also, are from another time line, or another dimension or from our time line but from the past. The past, in which we have lived. To send them back or to make things right again, what shall we do? If we want to intervene, we need the opportunity, to manipulate the time line. And at the other hand, I won't let you go without me."_

_"He is right, Ann. We need your knowledge here." said Ray._

_Doug took Ann's hand in his._

_"Look, darling, we will stay in contact with the Governor and with Angie. As you said, you have the journal and the grimoire. We can try to find out, what's that all about. And in this way, you can help Angie maybe more, as if you are with her in England."_

_Angie nodded. _

_"I have to agree with Doug. Lionel Partridge and me are related to each other, that explains why we are together in England. He had invited me to make a visit with my best friend. It might arouse suspicion if someone would come with us. Mainly because we would have to think of a good reason for you."_

_Ann raised her hands in defense._

_"Okay, okay. It was a silly idea!"_

_She pulled away from Doug's grip and left the office. Phillips wanted to follow her, but Tony held him._

_"No, Doug, believe me, she need a moment alone. It is much, she has to comprehend, maybe more, than we do."_

_"What do you mean, Tony?"_

_Newman sat back in one of the chairs._

_"Do you remember Ann talking about this woman? About Mairead? One could think, she was a saint. But now, she must discover, that the woman, who rescued her, was anything but a saint."_

_"So you believe in witchcraft now, Tony? Mairead said something like *abracadabra* and she changed the dimensions or the time?"_

_"No, of course not, Doug. But maybe this Mairead found by accident a crevice between the dimensions. When Ann has calmed down, we will have to talk with her. It's her theory and she thought a lot about it."_

_Doug rubbed his forehead._

_"I will go to her nonetheless. The last days were hard, especially for her."_

_But it was Kirk who had followed her._

_He found her outside of the main complex. She stared at the darkened sky. Kirk stood beside her._

_"He only meant well, Ann."_

_She looked at the General and he saw the tears on her face._

_"I know! It's only...I feel so helpless. Mairead...she was ...she was the mother I never had, a mother who always was worried about me. Which helped me, which taught me things, I've never heard of before. But what if she was different? What if she did not had my best interests at heart. What if she used me as a tool of her revenge? If Ballard and the two Trenton's are from the past, because I was there and I did something that messed up the time line?"_

_Kirk laid a hand on her shoulder._

_"Do you remember Ibsen? He was with us, shortly before we brought you back and told us, that he would vanish if the time line was restored. And he is vanished. If he is really some kind of time protector, don't you think he would be here by now, if something had changed the time line again?"_

_Shrugging her shoulders Ann grabbed for a handkerchief and dried her eyes._

_"Maybe I should read Maireads diaries and this grimoire, even if I don't believe in witchcraft." She squeezed Kirk's hand._

_"Thanks for coming after me, I'm fine. And I will be back in a moment."_

_Kirk nodded and left. At the entrance he met Doug, nodded to him and said:_

_"Ann is a little beside herself."_

_Phillips walked over to Ann._

_"Ann? Are you okay?"_

_She nodded and didn't resist when he wrapped his arm around her._

_Doug kissed her neck._

_"I'm sorry, I don't wanted to offend you. Am I too much?"_

_She looked up to him._

_"Too much, what?"_

_"Much too overbearing, too overprotective, too condescending?"_

_"Oh no, Doug. None of this. Okay, maybe a little to overprotective, but as I said at one time, I like that. It has nothing to do with you. I'm...I'm so confused. Mairead was my savior. To think, that maybe she has something to do with the happenings now, makes me uncomfortable."_

_"Don't think to much about it. Read the journals, if you want and then, maybe, we will learn more." _

_Phillips kissed her again._

_"Do you want to go home?"_

_"If we are ready here, then I would like to go home. and Doug...I've overreacted and I'm really sorry for that. I don't know myself, usually I'm not so sensitive."_

_"We have been through a lot in the last days. All we need is a good night's sleep and tomorrow we can talk again with a clear mind, okay?"_

_Ann smiled at him._

_"Kiss me, Doug."_

_And that he did thoroughly._

_*********************************TT*************** ********************_

_Jerry had spent the whole day trying, to set up on his new job. Nevertheless, he always had an eye on Trenton Saye, who was quite restless. Marleena had stayed at home, she was not feeling well. Jerry had insisted, that he would take care of her after work, even if Marleena was against it. But Jerry did not stop and when he came to Trenton's house, he met Mrs. Trenton, who just came from duty at the hospital. He asked her if she had time to look after her niece, who had developed a fever. And even if he couldn't stay in Marleenas room, when Dr. Trenton gave her an examination, he eavesdropped their conversation through the door. Dr. Emmy Trenton seemed to be a nice and caring woman, but now she was angry, so much was clear to Jerry, when he heard her say, that Marleena should have come to her right after the accident. While Jerry was contemplating what kind of accident she referred to, he heard someone coming upstairs and retreated into an adjoining room. To his surprise it was a room directly connected to Marleenas suite. And he delighted in the fact, that he could not only hear much better, but also had a look into the bedroom of Marleena._

_***************************TT********************* ************_

_Doug finished his telephone conversation with General Kirk and leaned back. Kirk was clearly concerned about something, but he hadn't told what made him restless. The whole situation was completely abstruse. _

_Suddenly Doug felt two warm hands on his neck, which caressed him tenderly._

_"Mmh, Ann, that feels good."_

_"You're very tense, Doug. Relax and I'll give you a massage."_

_"Good idea, darling. Let's go upstairs."_

_Phillips lay on his stomach and Ann massaged his back with skillful hands. When she realized that the tension had dissolved, she stroked him gently._

_As he turned his head, she smiled at him._

_"Better?"_

_"Much better!"_

_Doug grabbed for her and pulled her in his embrace. _

_"Have you found something helpful in Maireads records?"_

_Ann seemed to be thoughtful._

_"Do you know, Doug, I've read the writings Maireads often enough. I mean, the writings about herbs, and treatments. And of course the writings about her skills as midwife. The people in Carlisle as well as in Galashiels, took me for a healer and for a midwife. My skills weren't nearly advanced as Maireads were and so I was very happy to have her notations. The other stuff was off limits for me, because Mairead let me never have a look at it. She always said, what I didn't know, couldn't harm me. But now it can harm Althea or you or Tony or all of us. And now I have to read them without her. I'm sure, I will have so many questions that only she can answer."_

_Doug caressed her arm._

_"She must have been a very interesting woman. You've told so much about her as we were on the way to Galashiels."_

_Ann snuggled her head at his bare chest._

_"For nearly two long years she was the only human being in my vicinity. She healed me, she cared for me, more than my own mother ever did. And I could talk to her about you, even if she always thought I was talking about the real Sir Douglas. She loved to tell me the story how Lady Anne and Sir Douglas met. Did I ever tell it to you?"_

_When Doug shook his head, Ann continued:_

_"I will tell the story someday, but not now. Would you...would you read this grimoire with me? I'm afraid of what might be in there. Not that I believe in witchcraft and wizardry, but maybe...," she stopped talking._

_Phillips kissed his wife._

_"Of course I will read it together with you. But I had thought, you had a look into it today?"_

_Ann sighed._

_"Only to learn if the page, Angie gave to me, was from this Book of Shadows. The little bit I have read so far is so different from the other writings, so I find it difficult to believe, that Mairead has written it."_

_"Is it written in the same hand?"_

_Ann shrugged her shoulders._

_"I'm not sure. It looks like Maireads handwriting, only that some letters appear to be written differently. But I remember, that Mairead had injured her left hand once. She was left-handed, but could also write with her right hand. That would be a logical explanation."_

_Absentmindedly Doug caressed Ann's long hair, twisting some strands around his fingers and let them fall from his grip again._

_"Ann, there is something else I want to talk about. Tony mentioned your theory about cracks in the time line, or crevices to another dimension. Do you think it possible, that Mairead found something like this by chance? And used it to her advantage?"_

_"What do you mean with: To her advantage?"_

_"Ann, you told us, that Mairead was accused to be a witch. And it was Geoffrey Ballard, Duke of Carlisle, who made the accusation. Supposing Mairead found the way into or from another time-line and is alive, she could take revenge on Ballard."_

_Ann let her fingers wander over Dougs chest._

_"If I hear you talk about this, it seems to be a fairytale. But, according to my theory it could be possible. The only thing, that not fits, are the Trenton-Twins."_

_With a deep sigh Doug kissed his wife again._

_"You are right. How do they fit in this story?"_

_"I don't know, Doug. And to tell the truth, I'm too tired to think straight."_

_With a look at the clock at the nightstand, Doug said teasingly:_

_"Do you have a late bout of spring tiredness? It's only nine pm!"_

_"How witty! Believe me or not, I'm almost constantly tired lately. I just need a night's sleep in your arms, then I will be fit again."_

_Phillips smiled and kissed Ann tenderly._

_"My darling, your wish is my command!"_

_Relaxing in his warm embrace whispered Ann:_

_"Do you remember the night in my quarters after we had successfully installed the radiation bath? We had not slept for two days and I was so tired, that you carried me to my rooms."_

_"Oh yes, I remember it very well. It was the first time ever, that I had stayed with you for a whole night. I liked it. And it is so much better now, because we can share a bed every night, don't you agree?"_

_She nodded happily, they shared a tender kiss and it took Ann nearly no time, to fall asleep._

_**************************TT********************** ***************_

_Jerry came downstairs from Marleenas suite of rooms. He wasn't sure, what he should do now. Marleena had sent him away, she didn't feel well and the pill her aunt had given her, made her sleepy._

_He was about to leave the house, when Emmy Trenton halted him._

_"Dr. Briggs, can I have a moment of your time, please?"_

_Jerry smiled hesitantly._

_"Of course!"_

_"Don't worry, Dr. Briggs, I will not detain you long. Please come with me to my study."_

_After more than one hour later Jerry left the house of the Trenton's. His thoughts were spinning around in his head and he was thankful for the cool evening air. For some moments he contemplated to make a call to Tony or Doug, but then he discarded the idea. He got into his car and drove home. He was so preoccupied with his musings, that he didn't noticed that a car was following him._

_****************************TT******************** *************************_

_Doug Phillips looked with tenderness to his sleeping wife. They had forgotten to close the curtains, so that the moonlight shone through the window. Ann's skin was like alabaster in the pale light and her dark hair formed a strong contrast. Lying here in his arms, she seemed so fragile. But she was anything but that. Doug placed a little kiss on her forehead and tried carefully to detach himself from their embrace. Ann growled something unintelligible, but slept on. Phillips couldn't sleep. If it was the phone call from Kirk or the possibility that they had to use the tunnel much earlier than planned, he didn't know. The only thing he knew for sure was that he would not let Ann out of his sight. _

_Doug sat at the kitchen counter, a cup of coffee beside himself and Ann's diary before him. Maireads writings lay also on the counter and Doug had every intention to read them, when his cell phone rang. It was Tony, who asked if he could come over and bring someone with him._

_Doug took a look at the watch._

_"Do you know how late it is? Is it really important?"_

_Tony confirmed it and Doug said with a sigh:_

_"Okay, I will brew coffee for us. Ah, and who is with you?"_

_When Tony told him the name of the visitor and hung up, Doug sat for a couple of minutes nearly motionless, but then dressed himself quickly._

_It didn't took long until the doorbell rang._

_Tony came in and dragged a man with himself._

_Doug took a deep breath:_

_"Hello Tony!"_

_Then he looked to the stranger:_

_"Professor Ballard! Or should I better say: Welcome my Duke?"_

_TBC..._


	11. Chapter 11 Revelations

_**AN.: Real life was a bitch this last three weeks and so it took me longer than expected to continue with my story. My apologies for this. But now, please read the developments and adventures of our favorite time travelers ;-). Enjoy!**_

_Jerry Briggs stood at the door to the house in which his apartment lay and searched for his key, the conversation with Emmy Trenton still going through his head. Therefore, he had not noticed that someone was following him._

_As he felt a hand on his shoulder, he was frightened almost to death._

_"Hey Jerry, it's just me!"_

_"Nigel! What are you doing here at this time?"_

_"I wanted to talk to you, but you weren't at home. I asked Angie and she thought you could be with Marleena Trenton. I saw your car in front of Trenton's house and waited for you. And I followed you when you drove home."_

_Jerry had found his key and opened the door._

_"If you want to come in, follow me again:"_

_Nigel grinned._

_"No reason to get peeved. I'm here as a friend. We always got along, don't you think?"_

_Jerry only nodded and opened the door to the lift. He switched on the lights in his apartment and asked Nigel, if he wanted a drink._

_The men sat in front of the fireplace and there was a bashful silence for some minutes. Nigel took a sip of his drink and took a deep breath._

_"Why did you give up your job at Project Tic Toc? And don't tell me the bullshit about new challenges."_

_Jerry stood up and walked over to the large window from which one could overlook the City._

_"Nigel? Can I trust you? Even if Angie is your sister-in-law?"_

_"Depends on what you're about. If it's something that could harm our friends, I will not stay silent."_

_"I would never do something that could harm our team. And I say *our team* not without reason. I only left Tic Toc, to protect all of you. At the party I was fascinated from Marleena Trenton, she is an extraordinary woman. But...how it is often, at the other morning I saw another side of her. I overheard some conversations with her twin and I immediately became suspicious. When she asked me if I would work for her and her brother, I had the perfect opportunity to watch them closely. And I can tell you, I have found out something I never expected!"_

_"Then why don't you tell Phillips and Newman about it?"_

_"First, it is so unrealistic and far-fetched that I can hardly believe it myself, even if have been on Tic Toc for so long.. And secondly, I can not imagine that Phillips and Newman still trust me. Especially Phillips is relieved that I'm not around anymore, I think."_

_"You underestimate them both."_

_"Probably you're right. But...it seems, that I can't forget my feelings for Ann. I compare every woman to her, even Angie and Marleena are no exception,. Maybe this was another reason for me to go. It's not important now. I will tell you, what I have discovered._

_Nigel nodded._

_"Okay, I will listen closely and then we have to decide, what we can do."_

_Jerry fetched them a drink and stood again at the window._

_"Marleena Trenton isn't from this time line. Even if her name is Trenton, because Saye isn't her Twin brother but her husband. I don't know, how she came to be here in our time, it isn't so important. Much more important is another thing. She was the one who broke into the Phillips' house. Her injury at her arm is a bullet wound. Emmy Trenton discovered it a short while ago, when I asked her to look after Marleena. And all her flirtations with Doug have seemingly only one reason: To push a wedge between Doug and Ann. She is really certain, that Phillips would take her into his home and she will have the opportunity to steal the diary and this other writings."_

_"What's with Saye Trenton?"_

_Nigel nearly couldn't trust his ears._

_"Saye is really the son of Henry Trenton's brother, who is long deceased. How he and Marleena came in contact, I don't know. The Trenton's know nothing about all this. Emmy Trenton had only surmised that something is wrong with Marleena and I had a hard time to persuade her not to go to the police. At least not now!"_

_"And you are used by Marleena to mediate between Tic Toc and her."_

_"So it seems. And I will play my part, if only to protect Ann from harm. I can not see through Marleenas motivation as yet, but I will, I promise. Nigel, can you please convey, all I have said to our friends? I plan to go to Marleena in the morning and I will act as very eager suitor. Either I make Saye jealous enough that he reveals himself or I have the chance to observe Marleena more closely."_

_"Doug will go to the police I think."_

_"No Nigel, what should he tell there? A woman from the distant past broke into his house to steal a diary?"_

_"He could say, that she wanted to steal calculations or blueprints, and he can omit the fact, that Marleena is from the past."_

_Jerry sighed._

_"I can understand if he will notify the police. But it would be better if he does not."_

_When Nigel took his leave, Jerry held him back for a moment._

_"Can I ask you a favor?"_

_Partridge nodded._

_"I can understand if you are not willing, but please, ask Ann MacGregor-Phillips, if she would meet me. I must talk with her. and tell Angie, I don't wanted to hurt her in any way, she means much to me, much more than I can tell. I will talk to her too, when all this confusion is solved."_

_Nigel patted Jerrys shoulder._

_"I don't think it is a good idea to meet Ann, but I will ask her nonetheless. And Angie? She isn't mad at you, only unsure of herself. And she is now on her way to Carlisle with my uncle."_

_****************************TT******************** *****************_

_Ann awoke suddenly as she heard a loud conversation from the ground floor. She discerned the voices of Tony and Doug, but the third one wasn't familiar. She quickly pulled on sweatpants and a T-shirt and went to the stairs. When she reached the living room door, she paused when she heard mentioned her name by the unknown voice._

"_Your Ann, was the last person who saw Mairead. And she was the only one, who knew about her death. What if she had lied? It was Mairead, who opened the frontier between our world and the world of the death. No one else could have done it."_

_"Mairead was dead! She died in my arms! I've buried her!. What is your point, Professor Ballard?"_

_Ann stood in the doorway and Doug went to her quickly._

_"Come, darling. Sit down, we will explain everything to you. First, this isn't Professor Ballard. He is the Duke."_

_Ann looked from Doug to Tony and then to Geoffrey Ballard._

_"Yes of course, he is the Duke."_

_The sarcasm in her voice was more than clear._

_"Believe me, he is!"_

_Ann took a deep breath._

_"Okay, I'm not dreaming? I'm not totally crazy?"_

_Tony and Doug smiled and shook their heads._

_"No Ann, you're awake and you're absolutely sane!"_

_Doug grabbed for her hand._

_"Do you want a coffee? Or tea?"_

_With a look at the Duke, she shook her head._

_"No, under this circumstance I think, I need something stronger."_

_Ballard had told most of his story to Doug and Tony before, but with the help of the two men, he explained the happenings to Ann._

_"First you must know, that I never wanted your death! It wasn't me. It was this descendant of mine. Professor Ballard was able to come into my time because Mairead had used her magical skills and opened again the threshold between the world of the living and the dead. She did this to get revenge on me. Please, Ann, hear me out. When I was a young man I was in love with Mairead. I wanted to marry her and her father and her brother Malcolm gave their blessings to our bonding. But Mairead was at this time not only a healer but a priestess of the ancient religion. In the circle of the Year there are many celebrations, like Beltane or Samhain. We were betrothed when she celebrated Samhain with the other believers of the ancient gods. I ...I followed her, even if she forbade me to do so. I didn't knew what happens or how it happened, but there was something like a lightning flash and I saw...I can't describe it properly, a gate, a huge gate and I saw strange people, I believe they were ghosts. I ran away and I freed myself from our engagement, even if it broke my heart. Malcolm MacGregor tried to mediate between his sister and me, but he understood my decision. I think he was secretly relieved that his sister didn't have to marry an Englishman. Some years were gone by, when I took part in a ceremony of Beltane. I don't know if you are familiar with with this, it isn't important anyway. I voluntarily took part in it and I was the man, who spent the night with the high priestess. I didn't know, that it was Mairead and for some time I didn't know, that I fathered a daughter in this night. It was Malcolm, who told me about Maireads pregnancy and I did the most foolish thing possible. I took the child away from her and gave her to my sister, which was barren. Mairead swore revenge. And so I spread the rumor that she was a witch. Now, so many years or better centuries later I see, how wrong I acted. Mairead had loved me with all of her heart and she loved her country, her legends and her beliefs. I was the only one, who couldn't live with the knowledge, that there are some things between heaven and earth, which no one can explain._

_I named the little girl Maralynn and my sister and her husband brought her up as their own daughter. I married a year later and when Maralynn was four years old, my wife gave birth to Angharad and four years later to my only son."_

_Ann had listened attentively._

_"So far so clear. When I was in your time, I never saw a girl named Maralynn. she must be a couple of years my junior."_

_Ballard nodded._

_"It's so complicated to describe."_

_Doug intervened at this point._

_"The Duke told us the story while you were sleeping. I will try to make it short."_

_Geoffrey Ballard thought that Mairead had opened a gate between the living and the dead. He saw his descendant, the Professor, for the first time in Galashiels. The Second time, the man from the 20th Century came to Carlisle and the Duke found himself in the "Otherworld", how he had described it. When this happened not only once but more than ten times, the Duke began to fear for his sanity. and he thought, that god was incensed by something, that he had done. That was the reason why Ballard followed Longshanks into the crusade. The more he thought about it, he believed that it was a mistake that he gave his blessing to the engagement between Sir Douglas and Lady Anne. Perhaps God had something else in mind for his loyal knight. On the other hand he wasn't sure, if it wasn't Mairead who had her hands in it. He didn't know, if Mairead had learned the whereabouts of Maralynn. When the crusade was over and the small army came back to Carlisle it happened again. But this time the Duke was captured in the "Otherworld" for a longer time. _

_First he hid in the woods until he realized that this offered no refuge._

_He found an abandoned cottage and took shelter in it. The former occupants had left garments behind. And Ballard, who still thought he was under a spell, donned the foreign apparel and tried to learn as much as possible from this world of strange "ghosts". The Duke was an intelligent man and so he was quick on the uptake. And at some point he became aware, that this wasn't another world but another time. He had earned some money and went to Galashiels. There he met Althea Waversham, who naturally thought that he was Geoffrey Ballard, Professor of Archeology. Through her he learned a lot about his descendant. and even if Althea was at first a little mistrusting, she believed when he told her that he have had a little accident in Carlisle. When Althea went back to the US, he accompanied her and acted if he was the Professor. But then he found out that Althea had discovered an old diary and a necklace. But Althea had kept her discovery secret. He therefore could only throw a volatile view at the diary, when the young woman was asleep on the plane. He decided to go back to Carlisle and Althea told him, that she would stay until the spring in the US. Back in England he was shocked when he met his daughter, Maralynn, in Carlisle. Unbeknownst to him, she had found the gate and was determined to stay here. She was married to a young man named Trenton. His parents were dead since a couple of years. Later he learned that it was his descendant who helped her to find the time gate. And suddenly he was back in his own time and in his duchy only to find everything in ruins. His son George had married, Angharad lived in Dumfries and when he begged for her forgiveness it was too late. She died shortly after her return to Carlisle. His son banished him from the duchy and he went to France where he stayed for a while with relatives. But he was restless, knowing that Maralynn certainly had nothing good in mind. So he went back to England, determined to close the unholy gate. And then he found Mairead, alive with an unknown woman who was severely injured. He identified her at once as Althea. But Mairead couldn't tell him, why Althea was with her, nor why she was back from the dead. She asked after Ann and was seemingly confused. It took not long and Professor Ballard came back and wanted the diary. When he told his descendant, that he had no clue, where it was, he hit him until he was unconscious and was sent again to the future. And now he begged for the help by project Tic Toc. Maralynn or better Marleena had told him all about them. And suddenly he realized that Dr. Phillips and Dr. Newman, were no less than his knights, Sir Doug and Sir Anthony. When he saw Ann MacGregor-Phillips he had thought she was a ghost from the past. The similarity was breathtaking, so he declared._

_Ann nodded and looked over to Tony._

_"She is alive? I mean, Althea?"_

_"Seems so, but she is in the past. What can we do?"_

_Ann looked in the eyes of the Duke._

_"Can we really trust you?"_

_"I'm a man of honor. You can trust me. It wasn't me, when the army came back. I have to go back and I must prevent that my descendant is taking my place. But he want to stay there. And Marleena want to stay here. She is a very spoiled woman. She saw you, Sir...Dr. Phillips, when you were in my time. She was then a young girl and it was at the tournament, when you and Lady Anne fell in love. But she wanted to be your bride. And she will do anything to get you."_

_"But she is married with Trenton!"_

_The Duke shook his head._

_"If I were the young man, I would never turn my back to her. She is dangerous. And I would also see to it, that Ann isn't alone with her."_

_Doug laid his arm around Ann's shoulder._

_"So much is clear to all of us. It is late. We can't do anything just now._

_Please be our guest, Duke. We have a spare room, where you can sleep. And Tony, do you want to stay here for the rest of the night?"_

_"No Doug, thank you."_

_Doug understood but said nonetheless:_

_"Don't do anything rash!"_

_"I wont."_

_Tony clapped his friend on the back and left._

_**************************TT********************** ************************_

_When Ann awoke it was still dark outside. She snuggled herself against Doug, who murmured something in his sleep. She thought about the story the Duke had told. If there really was a gap between the dimensions, her theory would be proven. But the question was: Could this crack be closed? What would be the consequences of the interference by Professor Ballard? Did he change the time line? And when, why Ibsen/Malcolm wasn't back? And the most important question at all: Was Mairead alive? Was it the Mairead she knew or was it a Mairead from another time or another reality? Mairead never told Ann about a daughter she had has. Involuntarily the time in the past came back in her mind, the hardships she had overcome. The cold, the loneliness, the longing for her old life, the longing for Doug. She shivered and felt immediately, that Doug pulled her closer to him and stroked her arm._

_"Are you cold, dear?"_

_Doug's voice sounded sleepy._

_"No, I'm afraid."_

_"Me too. But we will survive this together, like always."_

_Ann laid her head on Doug's chest._

_"Poor Tony. To know that Althea is alive but in another time, maybe in another dimension and he can't do anything about it at the moment."_

_Doug kissed her temple._

_"We will do something about this. The tunnel is functional, not perfectly, but we can intervene."_

_Ann nodded in the darkness._

_"Seems my theory isn't so very far fetched at all."_

_She was thoughtful for a moment._

_"Maybe Mairead did knew something about this crack in the dimension. She surely would have written about it. I will search for an entry. But maybe someone had taken this pages away. Could have been the Duke. Or his descendant!"_

_"We will see, Ann. Today we will try to find a trace of Professor Ballard via the tunnel and then we can decide what action we will take."_

_For some minutes they were silent, until Ann wrapped her arms around the waist of her husband._

_"There are so many open questions, but they can wait until sunrise, don't you think so?"_

_She kissed him before he could answer._

_Doug kissed her back and murmured:_

_"You're absolutely right, darling." _

_He kissed her again and caressed her with tender hands._

_Later they lay arm in arm, breathless but very satisfied and dozed off for one more hour._

_**************************TT********************** ***********_

_Tony lay meanwhile in his bed, unable to sleep. His imagination showed him the strangest scenarios involving Althea. He didn't want to think about the woman, because he feared for her well being and he knew, when he was afraid, he would do something stupid. Eventually he gave up, dressed himself and went outside to his car. On his way to Tic Toc mountain he thought how they could make a connection to Professor Ballard. Jiggs was on the night shift and if he was astonished he didn't show it. He brought Tony, who sat at Ann's control station, a coffee and asked him, if he could do something for him. Tony thanked for the coffee and shook his head. Jigg's gave him a nod and went back to his post, when Tony's voice halted him._

_"Captain Jiggs, do we have now guinea pigs for our tests?"_

_"Dr. Partridge brought a bunch of mice in the afternoon."_

_"Thank you, maybe I will need some of them."_

_"You only have to ask, Dr. Newman."_

_After taking a sip of the coffee, Tony immersed himself in his calculations, oblivious for his surroundings._

_******************************TT****************** ****************_

_Doug awoke from the bright sunlight that streamed into the bedroom. Apparently Ann was already awake longer, he heard the sound of the shower and for a moment he considered, to join her, but then he heard that she turned the water off. _

_He got up and joined his wife in the bathroom. Ann stood before the mirror and Doug noticed how pale she was._

_"Ann? Are you okay?"_

_She smiled at him._

_"A little dizzy, must be still from the blow at my head. Don't worry, darling. Did you sleep well?"_

_"You mean, the little sleep we have gotten? Yes, very well."_

_He kissed her and went himself into the shower stall._

_Ann was dressed and was on her way downstairs, when the smell of freshly brewed coffee assaulted her senses. She found the Duke in the kitchen, preparing breakfast and couldn't hide her smile._

_"Good morning, oh how should I call you? My Duke?"_

_"Good Morning, Lady Anne, sorry, I mean Dr. MacGregor-Phillips! How about, if you call me Geoffrey."_

_"Okay, but then please, call me Ann. Dr. MacGregor-Phillips is such a mouth full."_

_When he nodded, Ann over took the breakfast preparations._

_"I'm astonished how much you are adapted to our life."_

_Ballard thought about this for a moment._

_"So it seems. I have adapted to your technology as cell phones and the things, you call computer, even if I think still it's witchcraft. But believe me, I like it here, but I cannot stay in your century, I belong to mine, so as my descendant belongs in his century._

_While they sat together at the kitchen counter, they talked about what should take place today. Ballard was worried about Marleena or Maralynn, how he still called her. He didn't underestimate her and he knew, that his descendant had met her and was responsible that she was in this time line. Meanwhile Doug tried to reach Tony, but he didn't answer his land line nor his cell phone. Phillips was worried and urged Ann and Ballard to hurry._

_The November morning was crisp and clear, the sky was blue as on a postcard and the sun shone brightly. It could be such a wonderful day, Ann thought. But there was Althea, kidnapped by an insane Archeologist; and a woman from the distant past, who wanted revenge. She felt dizzy again and she did not seem to tolerate the breakfast. But when she got out of the car, the fresh air did her well._

_Doug eyed her with worry, he had noticed how sick she looked moments ago._

_He took her arm._

_"Do you feel really good?"_

_"I'm okay, believe me. I would tell you otherwise."_

_Phillips took Ann's hand in his._

_"Okay, I'm worried enough about Tony."_

_"You don't have to, look!"_

_Ann pointed at her control desk and heard how Doug took a deep breath._

_"Keep calm, Doug. We have still enough to worry about." _

_She took Doug's hand and pulled him over to Tony._

_"Good Morning Tony!"_

_Startled Tony looked up to his friends._

_"Oh, good morning! I...I was so occupied with this calculations, that I didn't notice how late it is already. Is Ballard with you?"_

_Doug nodded and Ann took over her control desk. _

_Newman pulled Phillips aside._

_"I think, we can locate Professor Ballard in the past. We only need to make some alterations at the searching processors. And...believe it or not. I sent some mice into time and one of them I got back. Our biologists examine the mouse just now."_

_Doug smiled broadly._

_"That's very good news, Tony. Let's talk to Ann about it."_

_When the men went to Ann's place, Nigel Partridge was there, talking to the scientist._

_Tony's news were more than welcome and Ann allowed herself a sigh of relief._

_Ballard, who looked around the big control center with wonder, stayed until now in the background._

_Only as Ray, Nigel and Kirk were inaugurated, Doug asked the Duke of Carlisle, to join them at the controls._

_Ann looked around._

_"Where is Angie?"_

_Nigel knocked himself against his forehead._

_"I nearly forgot. She is on her way to England. My uncle has his connections and they flew with an aircraft from the government late at night. And I have something important to tell. I followed Jerry yesterday from Trenton's house and had a talk with him."_

_Partridge told the team what he had learned from Jerry Briggs. Ballard nodded, when he came to the part about Saye Trenton._

_"Nonetheless there is something wrong with this young man. You should be very careful."_

_Nigel agreed with it._

_"He seems to be the attacker, who struck Ann. Jerry is of the opinion, that Saye would do anything for Marleena."_

_Later, when the preparations for the search of Professor Ballard were underway, Nigel approached Ann's desk. She looked up and gave her colleague a smile._

_"What can I do for you, Nigel?"_

_"Nothing for me, Ann. Jerry asked me a favor. He wants a meeting with you. He gave me no reason except that he needs to talk to you. And only with you."_

_Ann shook her head._

_"I want to trust him, but under these circumstances it would be better, if I forgo a meeting."_

_"I thought so, but he was very persistent. Maybe he can come over and you meet him at the restaurant?"_

_"I will talk to Doug and to tell the truth, I don't want to meet with Jerry alone."_

_At a coffee break, Ann told Doug of Jerry's request and, unsurprisingly, Phillips was violently against a meeting of her alone with Briggs. Although Ann thought the same, she pointed out, that Jerry had possibly something important to say. Something that could help them. So they agreed to a meeting in the restaurant, with the condition, that Doug would be close by._

_The meeting should take place in the early afternoon and Ann walked over to the restaurant. At the last moment Doug got a call from Ray, who wanted to ask him something. Phillips waved and called out to his wife that he would be there right after her._

_The Duke stood at the entrance of Tic Toc complex and watched the greeting between Ann MacGregor-Phillips and Jerry Briggs, who had waited outside the restaurant. Something bothered him, but as he saw Dr. Phillips leaving the Tic Toc building, he turned around and went back into the warmth of the complex._

_When Phillips entered the restaurant, Ann waved him and he sat down at one of the small tables at the windows without taking his eyes from Ann and Jerry._

_Briggs looked over to his former colleague and then turned to Ann._

_"You thought it necessary to bring Dr. Phillips with you? Have you so little trust in me?"_

_"I will be honest, Jerry. I don't know what to think. But you wanted to talk to me and I'm here. Maybe you can tell me, what you have to say. I haven't much time!"_

_"I want to tell you so much, Ann, but I know, you don't want to hear it. No, please, hear me out. I'm on your side, even if it does not look like it. I think, Nigel had told you about our conversation last night?"_

_When Ann nodded, Jerry continued:_

_"Whatever you need, and I mean especially you, I will take care of it. And when all this is over, I only want to have the chance, to tell you, why I acted how I acted. And I want to know, why you have chosen Dr. Phillips."_

_Ann was embarrassed._

_"Jerry, I appreciate your offer to help with anything you can provide for us. But you have to understand, that we were shocked, that you left our project. And especially because it seems, that you have it done only for Marleena. And you haven't to wait for an explanation why I chose Doug. It's simple: I love him. And I have loved him before he went after Tony."_

_She saw, that Jerry was about to speak._

"_Let me finish, please! You were always a reliable Coworker and a friend. But I can't offer you more than my friendship. My heart belongs to Doug.."_

_Mid-sentence Ann was pulled from her chair and she felt a blade to her neck. Her eyes went over to Doug and she saw him lying on the ground._

_A woman's voice hissed in her ear:_

_"Maybe your heart belongs to him, but I will kill you and then he belongs to me, forever and a day!"_

_Then the woman pressed her a piece of cloth over the face and Ann fainted._

_TBC_


End file.
